A Descendants Story: Part 2: Into Fire and Chaos
by TheroelWil98
Summary: (Sequel to Part 1: Out of Smoke an Darkness) Solomon arrives back in Auradon, working together with Uma and Harriet to destroy everything. Mal and Ben face new challenges in their relationship whilst dealing with the threat. CJ feels conflicted about her allegiance and Archer has romantic difficulties. POV of multiple characters.
1. Chapter 1: Schemes

**IMPORTANT!**

 **This is a sequel to my first story _A Descendants Story: Part 1: Out of Smoke and Darkness_. ****Read that story before starting on this one.**

 **For the information on my OC's, check out my other story, _Descendants Story: Character Templates_ _._**

 **Please leave a review if you feel like it, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Also, if anything is unclear, don't be afraid to ask any questions.**

 **Enjoy!**

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Chapter 1: Schemes

The sky was clear, or as clear as it would ever get on the isle.

The water was calm, or at least the current was.

Everything was ready, this was the moment.

Solomon stood at the edge of the docks. His gaze was set at the Auradon shoreline. In front of him, he saw numerous boats belonging to Auradon officials patrolling Auradon Bay. These had always been there ever since Uma's little adventure during cotillion but had significantly risen in numbers recently.

The reason why was not hard to figure out. More boats had suddenly shown up about a week after his failed attempt at capturing Mal. This only confirmed the suspicion he and his associates had that their initially secret plans were now known to their rivals on the mainland.

Solomon had hoped, against his better judgement, that their plans would stay secret, a futile hope when taking everything he had told Freddie into account.

This new development put a slight dent into their plan. Only a slight dent though, as the cause was far from ruined.

Getting into Auradon would now naturally be a little more difficult, but it was still far from impossible.

A fear that had mostly been voiced by Harriet was that the Auradonians would maybe try to attack the isle. Both Uma and he had largely rejected that notion, citing the usually forgiving and unwilling nature of the Auradonians regarding violence and revenge.

Thus far, he and Uma appeared to have been right. All that the boats in the bay had done up to this point was keep the isle under surveillance, and nothing more. It did not appear as though they were preparing for any sort of invasion.

It had been just over a month since Mal had managed to escape his clutches, and all that time had been spent preparing for this moment.

While he was standing here on the edge of the docks, a few others were at the exact opposite side of the isle preparing a diversion.

The plan would involve the explosions of several colorful potions created by Zevon. They had gone through this process twice already, making it appear as though they had been practicing to escape.

Both times, the Auradonian fleet had largely shifted its focus to the disturbance, and Solomon expected that they would do so again.

In an effort to fully put their enemies on the wrong track, Uma and Harry would make themselves clearly visible. Hopefully this would call even more attention to the diversion and give Solomon all the possible freedom to get back to Auradon. Both he and the others held the notion that Uma and Harry would be the main targets for the Auradonian patrols, since they had been the ones who had tortured Mal.

Another part of their diversion, which had been a smart suggestion by Ginny, was that a person would join Uma and Harry wearing Solomon's skull-shaped mask. If the Auradonian patrols would see who they thought was him on the isle, they would never suspect that he had actually escaped.

Solomon was already wearing the improvised flippers that had been specifically made for this escape attempt. He and his associates had figured that the shorter amount of time he would spend in the water, the less likely it would be that he would get caught. Thus, the flippers had been made in order for him to quickly scale the bay.

He was also carrying a small backpack, filled mainly with food and other necessities like his spell book and daggers. Furthermore, he carried with him four potions made by Zevon.

One would erupt in a bright, blue smoke if he would throw it to the ground. He would use this potion to signal the others on the isle if he would be unable to deactivate the barrier. This would also signal that he would return to the isle the following day to construct a new plan.

The second potion would produce a thick cloud of red smoke, which meant that he would be able to fully bring down the barrier. In this case, everyone on the isle would immediately prepare for war before all heading for Auradon.

The third potion was supposed to generate green smoke and would announce that he would be able to temporarily deactivate the barrier. If that would be the case, the small team he had put together would prepare to make the journey to Auradon.

The following day Solomon would use his fourth potion, which was also green, to announce that he would bring down the barrier temporarily. The remaining people on the isle would create another distraction, after which his crew would use a simple rowboat to get to the other shore. They would naturally bring along the cauldron, but also more supplies like food, potions and weapons.

If he were to use one of these potions, he would do so at noon. This agreed upon time was to make sure that the lookouts from the isle would definitely see it.

The crew currently consisted of; Zevon, Maddy, CJ, Uma, Harry, Gil, Clay, Anthony and two other members of Harriet's gang whose names Solomon had not bothered to remember.

Solomon was actually quite content with the lineup. Taking Uma with him whilst leaving Harriet on the isle meant that they could no longer go behind his back. Uma and Maddy were naturally the magical sources Solomon needed beside him to activate the cauldron. Zevon was a nice addition since he was the best potion maker on the isle and fiercely loyal to Solomon. CJ, Harry, Gil and Anthony were all very proficient in hand-to-hand combat, whilst Clay was naturally better suited from range with his shotgun. He had not bothered to learn the skills of Harriet's other two goons as well.

Whether or not this particular plan would have to be put into action would only become apparent when Solomon would reach Auradon though.

For now, all Solomon had to do was wait for the diversion to commence. After that, he would wait for the Auradonian fleet to disperse and he would pass through the barrier and back onto the mainland.

Once he would arrive back in Auradon, he would first do some reconnaissance. Some investigation for information that would help them in completing their plan. He would do this before trying to bring down the barrier, since he would be able to move more easily and be less detectable when alone.

This investigation would mainly be targeted at learning about the Auradon military as well as their more direct enemies. Their main opponents in this battle would naturally be the other VK's and Auradon kids. Solomon would thus try to find out as much as possible about their weaknesses and ways of possible exploitation.

As eager as he was to try to activate the cauldron and burn Auradon to the ground, he was also quite passionate at seeing his enemies squirm a bit at first.

Uma shared his opinion on this. The main target for both of them in this matter was naturally Mal, and they obviously knew how to get to her.

Her friends and king baby beast were her biggest weaknesses, and Solomon was sure that they would be able to figure out a way to target them.

With some luck, he and his associates wouldn't even have to do much to get their opponents to surrender. Solomon knew that those weak-minded Auradonians would do everything to end the conflict as quickly as possible with the least amount of bloodshed.

The discussions about how to exploit this had been frequent and long. The main idea that kept popping up was taking hostages, but Solomon wasn't sure if even the Auradonians would accept that deal if it meant that the entire kingdom would be doomed.

As much as he liked to think that Mal and the other VK's had gone completely soft, he doubted that they would not try their absolute best to oppose him, even if that meant having to sacrifice at least some of their own.

"Everything is ready Solomon." He suddenly heard a voice say.

Solomon was awakened from his thoughts and looked back. Ginny Gothel was standing behind him, a timid expression on her face.

"Good. Tell them to proceed." Solomon replied.

"I will. Good luck out there." Ginny told him.

"I don't need luck, all I need is for all of you to finally prove to be somewhat useful." Solomon spat back.

"We won't disappoint you." Ginny replied confidently.

"I would hope not, for your sake. Just do as I commanded and be ready when you will be called upon. Now, tell them to commence." Solomon ordered.

Ginny briefly nodded before scurrying off.

Solomon once again concentrated on the distant Auradon shore. He looked beyond it, to the green fields and forests, the tall mountains and flowing rivers.

How much he wouldn't give to watch it all burn. To watch it all dissolve in front of him. To watch every single grain of happiness get sucked out until nothing would remain. Ever since he had started this enterprise, he hadn't put much thought into his exact reasoning behind doing this. All he knew was that, whenever he would think about what he would do once he would get back to Auradon, he would feel a sense of accomplishment and some sort of inner peace. For him, this was reason enough.

A sudden sound of an explosion alerted him that the diversion had been put in motion. When he looked back towards the other side of the isle, he saw a large cloud of differently colored smoke erupt into the air. At the same time, he heard the other isle inhabitants produce the large amount of ordered celebratory noises.

When he focused back on the water, Solomon saw many of the boats adjust their course for the far side of the isle.

He slowly breathed in and out, preparing himself for what was to come. If he would fail at his task, their entire operation would be jeopardized, and they would most likely have to wait another considerable amount of time before getting another opportunity like this.

He waited for as many of the ships as possible to have left the bay. He knew that not all of them would go investigate the disturbance on the other side, so he simply had to guess when the best time would be.

He carefully watched ships on both sides head to the other side of the isle. Behind him, he could still hear the faint sound of the diversion still taking place. On the water, the vague sound of soldiers shouting at each other was heard.

A small gap opened up between the boats near the middle of the bay. This gap only grew bigger as the perimeter around the isle was breached.

As the chaos behind him continued, and the boats were nice enough to create a clear path for him, Solomon decided it was now or never.

He dove off the docks, into the cold water. Since he knew that he'd be swimming, he had put his coat and most other heavy items in his backpack. With the help of his flippers, swimming was now a lot easier than the previous time he had made the cross.

After a short amount of time, he managed to reach the barrier. Once again, he felt a stinging and slightly burning sensation when he passed through the barrier, and again he managed reach the outside without getting flung back.

Without looking back, he headed for the shore. From the almost impenetrable line of boats that had still been on the sea earlier in the day, only a few remained. Even though Solomon was pretty sure that he would not be spotted, he tried to keep his swimming as calm as possible, hoping to not create any splashing that would maybe alert remaining guards.

The cross took a long time, but it was a lot easier than the first time. Besides having already done it before, Solomon now felt the enormous amount of pent-up magical energy he had obtained in his time on the isle.

The second he had moved past the barrier, he had felt it. It was as if he had gotten a sudden electrical shock or an abrupt burst of adrenaline. Anyway, it gave him more energy to try and reach the shore as fast as possible.

Like the first time, when Solomon reached the shore he immediately pulled off his flippers and rushed for the cover further inland.

He did not fear anyone that might spot him, but the entire operation he had planned out would naturally work best if his second arrival would remain secret for as long as possible. As long as it wouldn't be known that he had come back, the Auradonians would most likely keep their attention focused on the isle and try to prevent him from crossing. This would naturally give him an advantage when he would operate on the mainland, without anyone knowing he was even there.

This matter of secrecy would become significantly more troublesome to keep up when he would be joined by the rest of his crew. Not only did they have to cross the bay in a boat, instead of swimming, but they were also with ten!

If they would actually manage to cross unnoticed, it would verge on a miracle. Their plans on trying to ensure safe passage for the crew was mainly to create more diversions. Solomon would create some disturbance on the mainland, whilst the other isle inhabitants would do the same on the far side of the isle. This would probably give the others the largest chance to escape unnoticed, but it was still extremely risky.

Strength in numbers was good for executing operations or potential scrummages, but it would be extensively more difficult to remain hidden.

The first order of business for Solomon would thus be to find a suitable place to be used both for hiding and as a main base of operations.

The place had to be big enough for eleven people, allow them to stay hidden from any nosy Auradonians, be both a good place to fall back on and emerge out of, and be on a respectable distance from both the isle and Auradon City.

Since no one on the isle was an expert on the best hiding places in Auradon, the plan was for Solomon to go on a small expedition to find one.

Uma naturally suggested a cave near the coast, but Solomon had quickly turned that particular plan down. If they would even manage to find a cave suitable for eleven people, it would most likely not be an appropriate place for either a quick attack or getaway. The cave in which Uma had hidden during her time in Auradon was far from easily accessible by everyone except for Uma.

So, Solomon was forced to once again scour the continent for a suitable place to hide. His primary thought was still some sort of cave, not necessarily near the coast. Auradon had no shortage of mountains, hills and forests, all of which contained numerous places for someone to remain unseen if they would want to. It was Solomon's job to find the best one.

* * *

One week he had now been tracking through Auradon, but it was vastly different from the other two times he had been on a search there.

For one, he did not know his destination, making it different from when he searched for the cauldron. Back then, he'd had his map which directed him to the precise point near the mountain where he would be able to find the cauldron.

It was also different from when he'd set out to find Uma, in the sense that he wasn't even sure what he was looking for now. Sure, he was looking for a place to lay low with his crew, but there were no precise characteristics.

Thus far, he had found a few locations that were somewhat acceptable.

There had been three caves that all looked promising. One eventually turned out to be too small however and the other two were not very easily accessible.

At one point, he had found an abandoned barn on the edge of a secluded field. While it was both big enough and easily accessible, it was a bit too out in the open. He kept it in mind as a potential safe house though.

There was also a small trail between cliffs that led to an isolated open spot. The spot was completely out of sight due to the surrounding mountains, was big enough and relatively easily accessible. The major disadvantage was that it provided no protection from the elements.

In between searching for a good hiding spot, Solomon had done some quick investigating during the times he was in any inhabited area, when he was stealing food for example.

He had mainly kept to the outskirts of Auradon City and had not seen anything that could have resembled panic. The news about his attempt to capture the king's girlfriend had obviously not been made public, as well as the news that he possessed the black cauldron.

Solomon suspected that this information was kept from the public to prevent any widespread panic, but it would only work to his advantage.

If he would manage to quickly deal with any Auradon forces near the coast, the way to Auradon City would not only be open, but he would also find a completely unsuspecting and unprepared city.

He had not yet dared to go anywhere near Auradon prep, seeing it as an unnecessary risk. The time to further study their enemies would come, but to risk being captured for any such information at the moment was just plain foolish.

When he would be joined by the others, they would send out more expeditions to gather information. Since they would then be with more, it would not be a complete disaster if one of them would get caught.

At the moment however, he would still have to make due with tracking through Auradon alone in search of a quality hiding place.

The search was not particularly exhausting, but Solomon was nevertheless ready to call it quits simply because nothing of actual note was happening.

Walking around aimlessly through the Auradon nature was infuriating when considering that the element of surprise was of such importance to the plan. Having him walk around doing nothing this entire time was quite the nuisance when he could have done something to actually aid in the attack as well.

Suddenly, there was something that grabbed his attention.

A large structure, which was so abundantly covered in ivy that it pretty much resembled a hill. Beneath the plants, Solomon was barely able to distinguish the shape of what appeared to be an old watch tower.

Solomon approached it and studied it from up close. It was big, certainly big enough for eleven people to stay hidden. When he examined it a bit more, he found what used to be the entrance, now also hidden from sight by a layer of ivy. It was easily accessible yet hidden from sight. The watch tower was situated near the edge of a cliff, so it was not easy to attack. The ivy made it tough to spot from a distance and it was also located at an acceptable distance from both the isle and Auradon City.

When he eventually entered the structure through its entrance, he saw that the insides were still fairly intact, even though they had fallen into disrepair. A part of the roof had collapsed, but most interior walls still stood as well as the winding stair case which led to the top. The floor and walls were covered with plants as well, but as far as Solomon could see, there was no immediate danger here if they would choose to inhabit it.

The more he examined the building, the more he realized how perfect it actually was as a base of operations. From the top of the tower, they would be able to easily spot any incoming threats. They were surrounded by sturdy and camouflaged walls. It was big enough for everyone to stay in. It was at a large enough distance from civilization to make sure that they would not be disturbed by any passers-by, yet it was still easily accessible if you knew where to look.

"This will be it." Solomon knew. "This will be the place. From here I will let the entire kingdom know that I, Solomon, have brought them into fire and chaos."


	2. Chapter 2: Reports

Chapter 2: Reports

"Welcome home!" Ben loudly exclaimed as he pushed Mal through the large wooden doors.

It had been just over a week since Mal woke up, and the doctors had finally given her permission to leave the hospital. Ben had not wasted any time and immediately made sure to take Mal back to his home, Beast Castle.

Mal's injuries had all healed properly so far, but she was still advised to take plenty of rest for the foreseeable future. One other thing they had insisted on was that Ben would bring along a wheelchair. Though Mal was encouraged to try to perform several small activities, long walks would be too much to ask at the moment.

Ben didn't mind at all. He was just happy to have Mal back in his home. They had already spent plenty of time there together during the vacation, but Mal had never officially started living with him at that time.

This time however, Ben had brought over most of her stuff from her room at Auradon prep in order to make Mal feel perfectly at home. His parents had gleefully agreed to let her stay here until she fully recovered and were also happy to help out with her recovery wherever they could.

Mal would however sleep in her own personal room, as his parents had strictly forbidden the two to officially share a room whilst under their roof. So, Ben had arranged for the guest room closest to his own to be modified to fit Mal as best as possible.

Apart from bringing most of her personal belongings over, which included clothes and her sketchbook amongst other things, Ben had changed the interior of the room to include more of Mal's personal style, which is a fancy way of saying that most things in the room were now purple. Ben had also made sure to put a support beam right next to the bed. That, along with her crutches, would allow Mal to move through the castle freely.

From what Ben could tell, Mal was happy to get out of the hospital and return to a more familiar environment. She had furthermore made it quite clear that she was sick of having to stay cooked up in her room all day.

"Ben, you don't have to push me everywhere." Mal whined as the two entered the main hall and moved towards the nearest hallway.

"I know that you think that. But the doctors urged me to make sure that you take things easy, Mal." Ben replied as he happily continued pushing the wheelchair through his home.

"But I can walk again. Come on, you've seen me do it." Mal groaned as Ben had some fun by slightly accelerating and making some sharp turns.

"I know, but the doctors said to not exhaust yourself too much." Ben told her.

"Oh, the doctors said that? Did they now?" Mal grumpily replied.

Ben stopped pushing the wheelchair, walked around it and bent down in front of Mal. "Look, I know that this is a bit frustrating for you." He said as he softly grabbed her hands. "But you must also know that we're only doing this to make sure that you'll heal completely. So, please forgive me from not wanting to see you get hurt for any dumb reason."

Mal hung her head a bit but smirked nonetheless. "Dammit, alright. I know that you're all just looking after me. I just hate getting smothered and all, I can take care of myself."

"But there's nothing wrong with accepting a little help now and then." Ben replied as he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

Mal softly grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "I know. But as soon as I'm better I will be the one to push you around again."

Ben smiled broadly at her before giving her a brief peck on the lips. "Just wait until you see your room, I made sure to give it a bit of a 'Mal' touch."

"So, everything is purple?" Mal asked with a grin.

"Dammit, you ruined the surprise." Ben replied with a smile as he moved back behind the wheelchair and started pushing again.

Despite already having predicted it correctly, Ben still saw that Mal was pleasantly surprised when she first laid eyes on her room. Most furniture had purple coating and the curtains and sheets were now purple as well. The open closet to their right revealed most of Mal's clothes, already neatly stashed. Some of her most important possessions, including her sketchbook and the cage containing Maleficent the lizard, had been put on display on her bedside cabinet.

Mal sighed when she saw all the things that Ben had done.

"Is something wrong?" Ben asked a bit worried.

Mal looked at him. "Of course not, it's amazing. It's just that… You did all this for me after all the wrong things I've done. I don't deserve this."

Ben bent over the wheelchair and hugged Mal from behind. "I can decide for myself whether or not I believe you deserve something. Right now, you need rest and I want you as close to me as possible. So, I did this."

Mal squeezed his hand. "I love you." She murmured.

"I love you too." He replied, and they shared another brief kiss. "So, is there anything you want to do? You are officially free to take part in any activities again."

"As stupid as it may sound, I'm actually kind of tired. Would you mind if I just slept for a while?" Mal asked.

"Not at all." Ben softly replied before pushing her towards the bed. "This support beam here allows you to get out of bed yourself in the foreseeable future, but right now I am still here to help you."

"What do you mean?" Mal asked with slightly raised eyebrows.

Ben reacted by bending down and gently scooping her up in his arms, holding her bridal style.

"If you want to carry me so badly, you could have just asked." Mal grinned as she put her head in the crook of Ben's neck.

"Anything for my princess." He replied before placing a kiss on the top of her head.

Ben then gently lowered Mal onto her bed and tucked her in.

"Are you comfy?" He asked.

Mal nodded. "There's just one thing missing."

"What?" Ben asked as he slightly bent over the bed.

Before he could react, Mal grabbed him by the collar and dragged him into bed with her. All Ben could do was grin as he snuggled in behind Mal. They didn't speak for a while as they just calmly laid in each other's arms.

All Ben could do was look at his girlfriend's face and occasionally twirl her hair or gently rub her shoulder. It didn't take long for Mal to fall asleep, but Ben remained for a brief period just to look at her.

She looked truly at peace, her eyes closed and the wounds on her face having almost healed. Ben felt as though he could sit here and simply look at her for all eternity. She was beyond doubt the most perfect, precious thing he had ever laid eyes upon.

Eventually, Ben quietly and softly got out of the bed, careful not to wake Mal from her peaceful slumber, and left the room. As much as he loved spending time with Mal, no matter what they were doing, he still had a kingdom to run.

His office was not far from his room, meaning it was also not far from where Mal was currently staying. When he opened the door to his office, he was immediately greeted by his father and Lumière.

"Greetings, your majesty." Lumière spoke with a slight bow. "Is everything in the lady's bedchamber to your liking?"

"It definitely is and thank you for being able to act so swiftly." Ben replied.

"No problem at all." Lumière said.

"How is she doing?" Beast asked.

"As good as can be. She still has some pain, but the recovery is going fruitfully. She's sleeping right now." Ben answered.

"Good." His father said with a nod as he sat down in front of Ben's desk. "Shall we begin?"

Ben nodded as he sat down behind his desk himself, where a large stack of papers was already waiting for him. "So, what's the main concern for today?" He asked.

"The perimeter of course. We have been getting dozens of reports from the ships you posted around the isle." Beast answered.

"Anything noteworthy?" Ben asked as he studied the first report.

"Not that much. It's pretty much what we could have expected. They know that we know of their plan and they have thus started behaving more openly. We have reason to believe that this is a plan that has already been a long time in the making." Beast summed up.

"So, what are they mostly doing on the isle?" Ben asked.

"It's all in the reports, your majesty." Lumière answered. "They are keener to show themselves now."

"Have Uma, Harry Hook or that Solomon been sighted?"

"Yes, they have occasionally been seen near the shore, but have done nothing of importance." Beast said as he looked over a personal report on a notepad.

"So, they've done nothing so far? They're not taking any action?" Ben asked in a slightly perplexed tone.

"None that we know of. Does this surprise you?" Beast asked his son.

"I don't know. I would have expected them to want to act fast. I mean, they now know that we know of their plan. We have the advantage in combat strength, so I expected that they would want the element of surprise at their hand." Ben explained.

"Well, I can't speak for them, but we should only see it as a blessing that they've not acted yet. This will only give us the necessary time to prepare." Beast said.

Ben shrugged. "What you say is true, father. But I can't help but think this might be exactly what they want. What if this is all according to their plan, and we are walking right into their trap?"

"We can't be certain of that. All we can do is prepare ourselves to the best of our ability." Beast said with a hint of authority.

"Did you know that Archer suggested attacking the isle?" Ben told his father.

Lumière made a small gasping sound and his father sat up straight in his chair.

"Son, I know you value Archer's council, but that sounds like a fool's plan. The isle is not fit for a large-scale battle and we can be damn sure that the villains have made some arrangements to make the isle more defendable in the case of an invasion." Beast summed up.

"I know that, and you must know that I told him off. Furthermore, attacking the isle would mean opening up the barrier. We would have no idea who or what else might escape." Ben told his father.

Beast leaned back in his chair, seemingly impressed with Ben's reasoning.

"For now, a permanent perimeter will have to make due. I want constant surveillance on every side of the isle. No one gets in or out without us knowing." Ben said.

"I will message Triton; his men have mostly been overseeing the seas." Beast replied as he scribbled something down on his notepad.

"Great, there was one more thing I wanted to discuss with you." Ben then said.

"What is it?" Beast asked.

"The matter regarding letting the public know." Ben stated.

"Letting them know what?" Beast inquired.

"About all this. About Freddie and Mal getting kidnapped and everything concerning the black cauldron." Ben explained.

Beast started stroking his chin and seemed to ponder the question. Lumière was similarly doubtful, a slight frown on his face.

Ben shared his worries. "I mean, I don't want to spread panic amongst my people, but I also don't want to leave them in the dark."

"I get what you mean, son." Beast said. "I'm not going say that a message like this won't create an outcry from the people. They will probably demand that the isle be destroyed, or that we at least bring in some culprits."

"It is true that public opinion on the isle and its inhabitants has sadly not shifted very much." Lumière explained.

"That is what I fear. What if this news only reinforces old stereotypes about villains and their offspring? What if this causes backlash against all the villain kids we already have over here, and against the orphanage?" Ben asked worriedly.

"You need to have fate in the people, son. They are understanding." Beast tried to reassure him.

Ben shrugged again. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. Even after all the time that Mal and the others have been here, they still receive so much hate. Not a day goes by that I don't get a letter from a concerned citizen wanting all the villain kids to be deported back to the isle. This news might just be the final nail in the coffin."

"Surely they will realize that the other villain kids are in danger from these criminals as well? Maybe even more so than the regular public. Look at what they've done to Mal and Freddie!" Beast stated.

"You're right. That's how they should see it. But who knows how they'll interpret it all?" Ben said as he felt his temper rise a bit.

Lumière coughed softly. "Your majesty, if I could make a suggestion."

"Of course, any time." Ben replied.

"What you say about the people, it can unfortunately be true. But you must remember that apart from the horrific actions regarding lady Mal and miss Facilier, the delinquents have made no official proclamation of war. Nor have our investigations yielded any information that might suggest that they are indeed planning an invasion." Lumière stated.

"We have Freddie's testimony, we know what they're up to." Ben replied.

"True, but that is all that we've heard about that." Lumière said.

Ben felt a pinch of anger. "Are you suggesting that you think she might be lying!?" He asked perplexed.

"No! No! Of course not, your majesty. I just wanted to state the point that, since miss Facilier's statement is the only source of this particular subject, you have every right to not share it with the public. After all, it technically falls under a crime report which according to the law can be kept secret." Lumière explained.

"That's genius." Ben said relieved. Lumière's plan was a bit on the sneaky side, but it would keep him out of legal trouble. When Ben looked at his father, he saw that he was having similar thoughts regarding the scheme. "What do you think, father?"

Beast stroked his chin. "It is a good plan from our perspective, but not very honorable regarding the public."

"I realize that." Ben told him. "But in this case, it might be necessary for their protection. The last thing we need is for the people to oppose us in our fight against the enemy."

"You are becoming a wise king for your age, or any age really." Beast said approvingly.

"Are you expecting me to say that it's just because of my great role model?" Ben asked with a grin.

Beast shrugged. "Wouldn't hurt to receive a compliment every once in a while."

Lumière coughed again.

"Yes, Lumière?" Ben inquired.

"There is a matter that must be discussed with the public, the press most of all." He said.

"What about?"

"We must at least tell them what has happened to lady Mal and miss Facilier. We have thus far not published any official statement, but the lot of you have been spotted near the hospital quite frequently for the past two weeks. If any pictures surface that show lady Mal's injuries without any statement given by you, it could be a publicity nightmare." Lumière explained.

Ben nearly cursed himself for not thinking of this sooner. Of course, there was no press allowed inside the hospital, but surely some people had noticed him and the other VK's moving in and out of the hospital on a regular basis for the past weeks. Ben wasn't sure if anyone had managed to snap any pictures of Mal in her injured state, but if they had, there would be trouble. People would start thinking of wild theories of how she got injured. What if they would start suspecting him of domestic abuse, or some other terrible thing? That couldn't happen.

"We must send an official statement to the press right away. We will tell the truth about her travelling to the isle, but give no further information regarding Freddie, Solomon or the cauldron. Lumière, you start a draft and I will review it later in the evening. If all will be right, we will make the paper tomorrow." Ben quickly ordered.

Lumière bowed to him and his father before exiting the room.

Ben was now alone with his father. "Do you think I'm doing the right thing?" He asked.

Beast stood up and patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. "I do, son. The way you handle your rule right now lets me know that I made the right decision letting you become king."

"There is one thing I wanted to speak with you about, in private." Ben then said.

"Anything." Beast replied.

Ben fidgeted a bit with his sleeve. "I love Mal, with all my heart. You know that."

"I do." Beast replied. "And I am happy for you, and proud that you manage to treat her right."

"I'm worried, father." Ben told him.

"About what?"

"We might go to war. This means that the kingdom might be in danger, not to mention a lot of the people living here. I worry that, when the time comes, I might have to choose between Mal or the kingdom." Ben confessed.

Beast leaned back in his chair. "You mean, choose between what's best for Mal or the kingdom?"

"No, I literally mean choose between Mal or the kingdom. It's just this weird feeling I've been having, and I don't know what to do with it."

"If this feeling is true, then I'm afraid I cannot give you much advice." Beast said. "As king, it is your duty to take care of the kingdom and not let anything get in between. However, I will be the last person to tell you to sacrifice that which you hold most dear. You are my son, and I know how you feel about Mal. I am very sorry, but I can't make this decision for you."

Ben nodded. His father's council was wise as always, but not particularly helpful. It was true that he had been struggling with this issue for a while. A weird gut feeling, similar to a dream or a vision, had appeared and kept asking him what he would do if he would have to choose between Mal or the kingdom. Though he had tried to banish these thoughts, they kept creeping back. Ben had reacted by trying to spend as much time with his beloved as possible, subconsciously wondering if he was doing this because he suspected they might not have much time left.

"Thank you, father. That is all for now." He said.

Beast nodded, stood up and left Ben's office.

His short talk with his father also brought another subject to his mind. Ben opened the nearest drawer to his left. On top of a notebook lay a small box.

Ben picked up the box and opened it. A golden ring stared back at him, a large purple diamond with two smaller green ones surrounding it in the middle.

Ben knew that if he might not have much time left with Mal, he would surely make the most of it.


	3. Chapter 3: Announcements

Chapter 3: Announcements

"Your majesty, you have an urgent report." A messenger said as soon he walked through the door of one of the many common rooms in Beast castle.

It had been just over a week since Mal had 'moved in', and she was making leaps in her recovery. Her ribs no longer ached, all her cuts, safe for the one on her left arm, had completely healed and she had learned to somewhat walk while her ankle was still in a cast.

Ben and Mal were currently relaxing in a common room, not doing anything particular apart from being together. Mal had been making some vague drawings in her sketchbook while Ben was as usual reading through proclamations and occasionally asking Mal for feedback.

They were rudely pulled out of their peaceful afternoon when they heard urgent knocking on the door and a messenger came in.

"A report? Where from?" Ben asked as he stood up.

"The perimeter, sir. Apparently, they have spotted somethi-." The messenger started before he suddenly saw Mal. "Oh, apologies milady. Should we discuss this in a more private matter, your majesty?"

"Anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of both of us." Ben replied.

"Certainly, sir. Well, apparently our lookouts have spotted something on the isle. Something highly unusual." The messenger spoke.

"What did they see?" Ben asked.

"I have brought a video report with me, as well as descriptions made by the lookouts." The messenger said as he fumbled around in his bag. He handed Ben several discs and took out a notebook itself. "The descriptions say; _Relatively large explosion on far side of the isle, followed by eruption of colored smoke. Large gathering of people around place of disturbance followed by sounds of cheering or applause. Situation continued for about five minutes before smoke died away and the audience dispersed again. Definite sightings have been Uma, daughter of Ursula, Harry Hook, son of captain Hook, Solomon, son of the Horned King, Zevon, son of Yzma, Maddy, daughter of Madam Mim, Ginny Gothel, daughter of Mother Gothel, Gil, son of Gaston and Calista Jane Hook, daughter of Captain Hook._ " The messenger reported.

"Oh my god. Ben!?" Mal exclaimed.

"Is the barrier still intact? Have there been any breakouts?" Ben urgently asked.

"As far as is known, everything is still intact, and no one has crossed the barrier." The messenger replied.

Ben quickly calmed down, but Mal still seemed relatively panicked.

"Then what were they doing? What was the purpose?" She asked.

The messenger scraped his throat. "Many lookouts interpreted the occurrence as a failed escape attempt. It appeared to be some form of ritual that did not perform to its intended purpose."

"So, it didn't work?" Ben asked.

"Apparently not. Judging by the reactions of the islanders following the event." The messenger answered.

"Well, that's good then. Thank you for delivering the message." Ben told him.

The messenger bowed. "The leading officers still suggest that you look at the footage. And the lady too perhaps? It could be that she has some expertise on the matter."

"We will surely do that. Thank you again." Ben said as he shook the messenger's hand.

The messenger bowed again to Ben, then to Mal and left the room.

"Ugh, it's like getting homework." Ben complained as he grabbed his laptop and sat down behind the nearest table.

"This is quite a serious matter, Ben." Mal said as she semi-awkwardly got up with her injured leg and limped over to him.

"You shouldn't pressure yourself too much yet." Ben told her with a nudge towards her leg as she plopped down next to him on the couch.

"You don't have to worry too much. You know that I'm quite able to walk already." Mal said as she cuddled in next to him.

"Sure, but if you get injured you can be damn sure I will hold you responsible." He replied before kissing her briefly on the head. "Now, let's check this out."

He placed the first disc in his laptop and together with Mal he looked at the footage.

They first saw a wide shot of the far side of the isle. Everything looked relatively peaceful until the sudden sound of an explosion was heard, followed quickly by a large gust of smoke erupting from the place where the explosion had just sounded. The smoke was unlike any Ben had ever seen. It wasn't simple, black smoke, instead it had nearly every imaginable color imbedded in it. He saw red, green, blue, yellow and much more colors take form as the plume reached higher into the sky. He couldn't make heads or tails of it himself, so he directed himself to Mal.

"What do you think?"

"It's not a spell. For one, they wouldn't be able to use one inside the barrier, and second, this does not seem like magical energy. My guess is that this is Zevon's work, it looks like the effect of one of his potions." Mal explained.

"You're good." Ben said smiling.

"I know." Mal replied with a smirk.

"You don't happen to recognize this particular kind of potion? Or know what it is used for?" Ben hesitantly asked.

Mal gave him an exasperated look. "I'm not an expert Ben. And I don't know how much of a ruler you're gonna be if you rely on me for all your information."

"Ouch, okay. But hey, I know some things." He replied.

Mal shrugged. "Sure, handsome. If you say so."

Ben just shook his head smiling before getting back to the subject. "So, this was a failed escape attempt? In broad daylight? Clearly visible for us? They must be getting desperate."

"Maybe your blockade has had the desired effect? Solomon might be able to pass through the barrier, but he probably can't take everyone with him. Maybe this was meant as some sort of ploy to get the rest out as well." Mal suggested.

"If it was, it at least did not have the desired effect." Ben said.

"Are we sure about that?" Mal asked with a bit of uncertainty in her voice.

"The messenger said that they saw no one escape the isle, and the barrier is supposedly still intact." Ben summed up.

"I just have a weird feeling about this, Ben." Mal told him.

Ben put his arm around her and gave a slight squeeze. "I'll consult the overseers of the perimeter about it, we can even go investigate ourselves if you want to."

"No, we don't need to do that. It's just a hunch, that's all." Mal tried to reassure him.

"Still, when you have a hunch it's usually something big." Ben said in a worried tone.

"Don't worry about it too much, it's probably all fine. Let's just enjoy the rest of the day together." Mal continued.

"Are you sure?" Ben asked.

"Definitely." Mal replied.

"Okay then." Ben grinned. "The others are supposed to arrive around five, so we'll have until then. What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. What do you usually do for fun in here?" Mal asked as she looked around the room.

Ben shrugged. "Reading mostly. You know mom keeps expanding the library."

Mal pulled a face. "Ugh, who reads for fun?"

"Who draws for fun?" Ben fired back.

Mal looked back at him both amused and indignant. "King Benjamin, that is no way to talk to a lady."

"I'll keep that in mind when I see one." Ben mocked.

Mal poked him in the chest, making him flinch. Ben immediately retorted by pushing Mal flat on the couch and tickling her ribcage.

At first, Mal was simply shrieking with laughter and Ben was laughing along with her. A sudden cry of pain alerted him however, and he immediately jumped off of Mal as she grabbed at her torso.

"Oh my god, Mal! I'm so sorry." He rambled as he kneeled down next to her. "Where does it hurt?"

Mal's breathing slowly returned to normal. "It's nothing, just a slight stab near the ribs. I'm totally fine."

"I'm so sorry. I should have never done that." Ben continued to ramble as he placed his hands on Mal's torso. "Maybe we should go to the hospital real quick."

"What? No! Ben, I'm fine. You don't have to treat me like I'm some sort of porcelain doll." Mal said somewhat accusingly.

"Are you sure?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. It doesn't hurt anymore. You've been saying yourself that we need to take things slow, so now we know that tickle fights are still taboo for now." Mal told him.

"I'm sorry, I'll be more careful from now on." Ben reassured her as he softly grabbed one of her hands.

"Please don't. I don't wanna be treated like this Ben. Like you think I can break down or something at any given moment. I'm still me, and I want you to treat me like you always have." Mal retorted.

Ben slightly grinned. "With love?"

"Lots of love." Mal replied before kissing him.

* * *

"Jeez, Ben. Are you trying to fatten us up or something?" Carlos asked when Mrs. Potts brought out yet another large platter filled with food.

Ben had hosted a small dinner party with their closest friends. So, besides his parents, he and Mal had been joined by Evie, Carlos, Jay, Doug, Jane, Lonnie, Freddie and Jordan. Ben had informed Mrs. Potts of the larger than usual crowd and she had gone all out in the kitchen, providing them with one delicious dish after another.

While Ben had told his guests that this was mostly just a get-together, he had an ulterior motive to invite them all. He was planning on asking Mal to marry him in the near future and, being old-fashioned as he is, he wanted to ask official permission of Mal's family to do so.

Now, naturally, Mal did not have any living blood relatives apart from Maleficent the lizard and Ben did not believe that her opinion on the matter was of much value. All she could do was hiss at him anyway.

So, he turned to the next best thing available to him; Mal's closest friends which she also considered her family. Even though he had now known them for quite a while, and they had an amicable relationship to say the least, Ben was quite nervous to share his announcement with them.

There was the added nervousness of having to tell the news to his parents. He knew that both his mother and father loved Mal and saw her as fit to be his queen, but he was uncertain if whether or not they would think he was too young to get married. He was certain of his case however. He had given it a lot of thought ever since Mal had returned from the isle with her injuries and had come to the conclusion that he didn't want to wait anymore.

The only people that could stop him from marrying Mal were Evie, Carlos, Jay and Mal herself. Even though Ben was certain of his case, he valued the input of the other VK's. He wanted their approval over anything else as he felt they might be the only ones who Mal cares for similarly to him. And, of course, if Mal refuses his proposal there would be no wedding, but she would be the last hurdle.

Ben pushed his thoughts aside and directed himself to Carlos. "I told Mrs. Potts we would have a few guests, I guess I should have been a bit more specific about how many."

"I don't mind, not at all." Jay said as he filled up his fourth plate with food.

"Just so you know, I won't carry you back to school." Lonnie told her boyfriend.

"No need, babe. I can handle this." Jay replied through a mouthful of food.

Ben was grateful that his friends were acting like their usual selves. The threat of Solomon and the black cauldron had been looming over their conversations ever since Mal and Freddie's horrifying adventure. But for instances like this, even the VK's let the subject be for a while.

Carlos and Jay were their usual cheery selves, cracking jokes and making a general mess with their food. Evie, Doug and Jane were mostly talking with Ben's parents about upcoming events and the school. Freddie, Lonnie and Jordan were happily gossiping, while occasionally joining Carlos and Jay in telling jokes.

Ben tried his hardest to interact with anyone, and he noticed that one person did not take part as much in the festivities.

Mal was unusually quiet. She sat next to him at the head of the table, with Evie nearest to her on the side. While she ate plentiful, she was not very talkative. Evie had naturally reached out and kept up a few conversations, but Ben noticed that Mal's answers were often very short and monotone. He was happy that Evie gave it no mind and did not create a scene at the dinner table, but he did think he saw a worried expressions flash across her face at least once.

When the deserts finally arrived, everyone eagerly dug into the delicious cakes and ice cream supplied by Mrs. Potts.

Mal naturally took a large chomp of strawberry cake and secluded herself from the rest.

When Mal finished her cake however, she still made no attempt to start a conversation with anyone.

Ben eventually reached out to her. "Is anything wrong? Not to jump to conclusions, but you've been very quiet."

Mal softly shook her head. "Yeah, I know. Sorry, but I have been feeling a bit tired. I got quite a headache as well actually."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Ben asked surprised. "If you don't feel well we can just get you to bed."

"I didn't want to ruin the dinner." Mal whined.

Ben shook his head. "You can always say if something is wrong. Now come, let's get you to bed so you can rest."

"That's not necessary, Ben. Please." Mal groaned.

"Sorry, but I have to insist." Ben replied. "Please Mal, we don't want you falling ill."

Mal gave him an exasperated look. "Okay then, but you have to explain it to all of them."

Ben stood up and grabbed Mal's crutches for her.

"What's going on?" Belle asked.

"Mal's feeling a bit tired, I'm taking her to bed." Ben answered.

"Oh, sweetie. Is something wrong?" Belle asked Mal.

"It's nothing, Belle. Just a bit tired." Mal told the former queen.

"Oh well, you better get some rest then." Belle kindly said as she softly patted Mal's upper arm.

Ben made the announcement to the other guests who all wished Mal a good night. Evie even ran up to Mal to hug her.

After Ben and Mal left the dinner room, she immediately fell out at him.

"See what you did! Now they all think I'm too weak to even care for myself." Mal said in a grumpy tone.

"Come on, Mal. There's nothing wrong with speaking up when you don't feel well." Ben told her as he tried to keep up with her.

"But I already told you that I feel fine! And you go ahead and make a big deal out of it as usual." Mal replied angrily as she kept on limping out in front of him as fast as she could on her crutches.

Ben caught up with her and blocked her path.

"Please get out of the way, Ben." Mal whined.

"No. Not until you finally accept that it is okay for people to look after you." Ben said as he crossed his arms.

"I'm fine with people looking after me, but not when I don't need it. I'm fine, Ben. Totally fine." Mal emphasized.

"You are still recovering from your injuries. You still use crutches for god's sake." Ben said.

"Only because you say I have to." Mal retorted. "I can do without them."

Mal dropped her crutches and softly put weight on her wounded foot. A brief grimace of pain appeared on her face, but she quickly repressed it. "See, totally fine." She then lifted her other foot to take a step but immediately cried out in pain and lost her balance.

Ben caught her and lifted her back up. "Still don't want any help?"

"Alright, you've made your point." Mal said as her voice stocked. "I can't do anything alone anymore. I'm useless. Give me back my crutches."

Ben instead put his arms around Mal and gave her tight hug. She initially resisted, pushing against Ben's chest, but eventually surrendered and hugged him back. Ben noticed that she had started sobbing, and so he stopped hugging her to put her at arm's length, so he could look at her tear-stained face.

"You're not useless. Far from it. You're still the same old you, just with a few bumps. We know that you're strong, I mean, look at what you've gone through. All this being careful is just for now, and you know that. Do you think we will still treat you as our patient when you're completely healed? Well, I will, but the others probably won't. This is just for now, and you will have to accept it whether you like it or not."

"I hate it. I hate this." Mal said and she gestured at herself.

"I know you do. But can you just let us look after you? Please? For me." Ben practically begged.

Mal hung her shoulders as she looked into his eyes. "Damn you and your puppy eyes." She said with a small smile.

Ben smiled back at her and softly kissed her. "Well, you won't be needing these crutches anymore."

"What do you mean?" Mal asked.

Ben immediately bent down and swooped her up in his arms, carrying her bridal style.

"Again, with the carrying? Don't you have anything better to do?" Mal asked broadly grinning.

"There's nothing I'd rather do." Ben replied as he leaned in for another kiss.

Ben went on to carry Mal all the way to her room, where he softly placed her on her bed.

"You can handle things from here?" He asked her.

"I'm not a baby, Ben. I know how to brush my teeth." Mal replied with a bit of sass.

"I'll come by later tonight to check on you, is that alright?"

"Just don't be offended if I'm already sleeping." Mal told him.

"Goodnight." Ben smiled.

"Goodnight." Mal replied and they kissed again.

Ben left the room, waving to Mal for one more time in the process.

While he naturally could not be happy that Mal wasn't feeling well, this did however play right into his plan. He actually didn't know what he would have done to speak to the others without Mal in the room, but he now no longer had to worry about that.

When he reentered the dining room, all eyes went to him.

"Is Mal doing alright?" Freddie asked.

"She's fine, and she'd appreciate it by the way if we stopped smothering her. She wants us to know that she is still capable of taking care of herself." Ben announced.

"She must know that we're just worried about her, right?" Evie asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, she knows. But I guess that we can lay off of her a bit, okay?" Ben replied.

Everyone in the room mumbled an agreement.

"Good. Now, everyone, I, ehm, have an announcement to make." Ben stated.

Everyone in the room put down their cutlery and stared at him.

"What is it, son?" Beast asked.

"So, there is actually one thing I wanted to discuss with you, Evie, Carlos and Jay. And, with you, mother and father." Ben told the people in the room.

"Oh, do you want us to leave?" Doug asked.

"No, not necessarily. But this mainly regards you." Ben replied as he pointed at the original VK's.

"Sure, what is it?" Carlos asked.

Ben carefully breathed in as he felt the nerves coming up again. "Ehm, there is something I want to ask you. Or better, that I'll need your approval of." He started.

"Does this have something to do with the isle? Or the fight against Solomon?" Jay asked.

"What? Oh, no. No, this is something completely different, but it does affect you in a certain way." Ben answered, the nervousness palpable in his voice.

"If it's so important, shouldn't we also discuss it with Mal?" Evie asked.

"She will find out later, definitely." Ben reassured her.

"What is this about, dear? You can tell us." Belle said as she placed a hand on his arm.

Ben patted his mother's hand in a grateful gesture and took one more deep breath.

"There is, ehm, something I want to do. Something I want to ask." Ben slowly said as he took the small box out of the inside pocket of his jacket.

Evie's hands already shot to her mouth and the eyes of everyone in the room went wide.

"I want to ask Mal to marry me, and I wanted to ask you for permission." Ben finished as he directed himself to Evie, Carlos and Jay.

There was a tense silence in the air for a few seconds, where literally no sound was heard.

Then Evie made a loud screeching noise, jumped up from her seat, ran over to Ben and gave him a big hug.

"Oh my god! Ben! Are you serious?" She asked in a high-pitched voice.

"Definitely." He replied, a slight smile starting to appear on his face.

Evie shrieked again and pulled him into yet another hug.

"So, I guess I have your permission?" He asked smiling.

"Yes! Of course! Ben, we all know how the two of you feel about each other. You're in love, Ben! You are each other's soulmates and if you think the time is ripe then I support you." Evie replied.

Ben looked over her shoulder. Carlos and Jay had not yet stood up and both of them stared at him nearly suspicious.

"Guys? What about you?" Ben asked them.

Carlos bit his own lip, but Jay looked more perplexed than anything else.

"What do you mean about asking permission from us?" Jay asked.

"Ehm, well. In Auradon, it's tradition for the groom to ask permission from the bride's family to marry her. Since Mal does not have any living relatives apart from Maleficent the lizard, I thought that it'd be appropriate to ask all of you. You are pretty much her family after all." Ben explained.

"Oh." Jay exclaimed. He actually seemed somewhat moved by Ben's answer. Jay then stood up and walked over to Ben, where he softly punched him in the chest. "Mal is like my sister, so you better be damn serious about this."

"I am. You know that I would never do anything to hurt her." Ben tried to reassure him.

"Well, it's a bit early in my opinion, but it's like Evie already said. You two are clearly in love and I won't stop you." Jay said grinning.

Ben smiled at him and the two shared a brief hug. Ben then turned his attention to Carlos, who still hadn't moved.

"Carlos? Are you alright?" Ben hesitantly asked.

Carlos raised a finger to shush him. "Well, yeah. I'm just trying to wrap my head around this. You marrying Mal? It all seems a bit surreal for now."

"You don't want me to marry her?" Ben asked in a slightly disappointed tone.

"Now, wait! I didn't say that! I definitely did not say that! It's just… What Jay said, it's a bit soon. But Ben, what you and Mal have is one of the purest forms of love I have ever seen and I don't doubt for a second that you will always try your absolute best to make sure she stays happy and healthy. If you want it so badly, you can have my blessing." Carlos said.

Before Ben had a chance, both Evie and Jane burst out in tears pretty much jumped Carlos in a big hug. When he eventually managed to pull himself loose from the two girls, he directed himself to Ben.

"Don't make me regret my choice." He said.

"I won't." Ben replied before shaking Carlos' hand and giving him a tight hug.

All the other guests at the table then stood up and hugged and congratulated him one by one. Ben soon noticed however, that his parents had not yet moved.

Ben scraped his throat as he turned towards them. "Wha- ehm… H-how do you feel about this? Mother? Father?"

Both Belle and Beast had not made any attempt to mingle in the conversation Ben had had with his classmates. Now that Ben directly addressed them, they seemed to snap out of their trance.

"It's, ehm, well…" His mother began.

"Ben, son. Can we please speak to you in private?" His father then asked in a serious tone.

Ben looked over at Evie, Carlos and Jay. Evie seemed a bit scared at Beast's harsh sounding question, as if she was afraid that he would not approve of his planned proposal. Carlos and Jay, on the other hand, had a more rebellious look about them, as if they would defend his choice if they had to.

"You stay here, guys. My parents and I will talk things over in the next room." Ben announced to his friends, who all showed no sign of protest.

And so, Ben led his parents into the next room, which was a small room mainly used for lunches and the sorts with important guests.

"What do you want to discuss?" Ben asked his parents straight to the point.

"Son, are you out of your mind!?" Beast immediately thundered.

"Adam!" Belle exclaimed somewhat startled.

"Honey, please! You know as well as I do that he's far too young to get married!" Beast replied.

"Too young!? You think that I'm too young?" Ben asked incredulously.

"Of course, you're too young! You're still a kid for god's sake!" His father yelled back.

"I am eighteen and I am king! You even saw me fit enough to become king!" Ben retorted.

Beast was taken aback for a moment as he stared at his son with both surprise and anger.

Belle then placed a hand on Beast's shoulder. "Adam, please. Refrain yourself."

Beast seemed to immediately calm under his wife's touch. "Son, are you absolutely certain about this?" He then asked, a lot calmer.

Ben nodded. "I am. I have given this a lot of thought, trust me."

His father then looked downwards, seemingly lost in thoughts. His mother turned to him however, smiling broadly.

"Ben, if you have given this a lot of thought and you are completely certain, then of course I support you. You have grown so much, and I have no doubt that you and Mal will make each other very happy." She told him.

Ben felt a lump in his throat as he happily put his arms around his mother in a tight embrace.

Beast had not moved an inch during Ben and Belle's heartfelt exchange, so when Ben released his mother and directed himself to his father again, he seemed a bit out of it.

"Father?" Ben hesitantly said. Beast did not look back at him, instead just staring at the floor breathing heavily.

"Father!" Ben repeated with more volume. This time Beast did look up, a distorted expression on his face.

"Father, what are your thoughts? Tell me how you feel about this." Ben said.

Beast slowly stroked his chin and scraped his throat. "To be honest, son, I don't know how to feel about this."

"Is it Mal? Are you doubting her?" Ben asked more harshly than intended.

Even Belle slightly gasped when Ben asked that and went to stand next to her husband.

Beast looked at his son in disbelief. "Of course not! You know how your mother and I feel about her, she's like family."

"Then allow me to bring her into our actual family. Please dad! It would really mean a lot to me if you could support my decision." Ben begged.

Beast sighed, but then started smiling. He reached out his arms and embraced Ben tightly. "Oh son, you're growing up so fast. I guess I just wished that you could postpone it a little."

"I just feel that the time is right, dad. I want to do this." Ben replied.

"And I will not stop you. We will welcome Mal into this family with open arms." Beast told him.

"If she says yes." Ben retorted, a hint of fear present in his voice.

"Oh, of course she will, dear. You two are made for each other." Belle tried to reassure her son.

"Do you have any idea how and when you're going to propose?" Beast asked.

"I do actually. But I'd rather also share that with the others." Ben said.

"Well, let's not keep them waiting any longer." Belle said, and she preceded her husband and son back into the dining room.

When she opened the door, a rather disgruntled looking Evie, Jay and Freddie fell into the room, a heavily startled Carlos standing just behind them.

"We weren't listening in!" Jay immediately yelled as he scrambled back up.

"Sure, you weren't." Ben replied grinning.

"I-is everything okay? Have you fixed things?" Evie asked somewhat scared.

"Yeah, we've cleared things up. I'm going to propose to Mal!" Ben enthusiastically told everyone in the room.

Evie once again shrieked and gave Ben a tight hug as the others also surrounded him and once again gave him their congratulations.

"Now we just have to hope that she says yes." Freddie said somewhat out of the blue.

Evie lightly slapped her on her shoulder. "Of course, she will. They're in love."

"So, do you know when you're gonna propose?" Jane asked.

"And how? How are you gonna do it, Ben?" Jordan followed up.

"And what does the ring look like?" Evie asked in a high-pitched voice as she reached for the box in Ben's hand.

"Woah, guys! Easy! Alright, this is what the ring looks like." Ben cleared up as he opened the box and showed everyone the purple and green diamond encrusted ring.

All the girls gasped in wonderment and all the guys whistled admiringly.

"Ben, it's beautiful." Evie said as she admired it. "How did you get it?"

"Actually, Dizzy made it for me." Ben told her.

"She what!?" Evie loudly exclaimed.

"You had showed me how good she was with jewelry, and I wanted a bit of the isle side of Mal represented in the ring." Ben explained.

"When did she do this?" Evie asked.

"A little over a week ago. Just before Mal left the hospital." Ben said.

"And she kept this from me!? The little rat!" Evie ranted.

"Because I asked her to. Sorry Evie, but you would have never been able to keep this a secret."

Evie grunted in disagreement and so Doug put a comforting arm around her.

"But, do you have any idea how you're going to propose?" Jane asked again.

"I do, but I'm not going to share that with you, I'm sorry." Ben said.

"We totally understand." Lonnie replied. "Oh Ben, this is so exciting."

"I know." Ben said, mostly to himself, as he admired the ring. "I can't wait."

* * *

A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story thus far.

Please leave a review if you feel like it, I appreciate all feedback.

Also, if anything is unclear, don't be afraid to ask any questions.


	4. Chapter 4: Experiments

**Just a quick answer to a question asked in the reviews; No, Mal cannot use a spell to heal herself, since she donated her spellbook. Furthermore, magic is not really used anymore in Auradon, meaning that even doctors can't use healing spells. Also, in this case, Mal having magic in her blood does not have any influence to how fast she recovers from injuries.**

 **Enjoy!**

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Chapter 4: Experiments

"This is it. Come on! You can do this!" Solomon thought to himself.

From his position, at the edge of a high cliff, he had a perfect view of the Bay, stretching all the way from Belle's Harbor to the isle and the Strait of Ursula. The waters were still infested with Auradon officials, patrolling on every side of the isle. Seeing with how many they were from where he was standing, he believed it to be a miracle that he had been able to swim all the way into Auradon without getting spotted.

Then his thoughts went to the others who would soon have to make that cross. If it would be the entire army, which would be the case if he would manage to bring down the barrier in its entirety, this would not be that big of a problem since they would possess enough strength in their numbers to fight them off. If he would only be able to temporarily open up the barrier, the cross should prove to be much trickier for his allies.

Alone, he was not easily spotted in the vast waters simply swimming. But for such a large patrol, even something as small as a simple rowing boat should be easily seen.

They would have one trick up their sleeve though, and that was Uma. The second his associates would be able to cross the barrier, Uma would regain her magical powers. These powers largely give her command over the waters. One thing they could use this for is to quickly travel to the mainland, hopefully going unnoticed by the authorities.

Naturally, he gave no value to the lives or safety of his supposed accomplices, only for what they were transporting. The plan he had been working on for so many months would be able to be completed without any of the people he had thus far worked alongside with.

Uma, Zevon, CJ, all of them were expendable. The only thing that wasn't expendable was the cauldron. As long as he had it, his dreams of bringing destruction and evil to Auradon would still be possible.

Ever since he had left the isle for a second time, he had cursed himself for letting a group of people he despised look after his most prized possession. And now he fully relied on them to bring it to him. It was all similar to when he had planned on capturing Mal. He had trusted Uma and Harry Hook to deliver her to him, only to have them fail in the most spectacular fashion.

That little scheme had not been essential to any part of the bigger picture however. Even without the added strength of Mal's magic, he was still able to continue. If the others failed in delivering the cauldron to him however, the entire plan would be devastated.

The consequences of a potential failure were so large, that Solomon had thus far not spelled them out completely.

If the others would get caught, he would still remain at large. This was pretty much the only benefit that would occur. His associates would get caught, which would be a blow but nothing that couldn't be repaired. There would always be other souls with goals similar to his, and even if he wouldn't be able to find any, this plan would be suitable to be performed alone.

The large blow would be that the cauldron would probably fall into the hands of the Auradonians. Solomon could only guess what they would do with the cauldron if they would get their hands on it. They would probably destroy it, given that it is a powerful magical artifact capable of destruction and evil. In the best-case scenario, they would lock it up somewhere with much security.

Without the cauldron, there would be no plan. All that Solomon had thus far planned for depended entirely on what he would be able to do with the cauldron. It was thus of the absolute, upmost importance that his crew would succeed in getting the cauldron safely into Auradon.

A large part of this also rested on his shoulders. Not only would he have to succeed in taking down the barrier, be it temporarily, he also had to make sure to do it at the exactly precise time.

Solomon still had his potions. If he were to be successful in temporarily taking down the barrier, he was supposed to alert the others with the potion that emits green smoke. This would alert his associates on the isle that the cross would happen on the following day. When he would then try again, he would simply use the second green potion to let the others know when to activate yet another diversion.

This plan was rather risky for several reasons. Solomon didn't know how long he would be able to keep the barrier open, so their gap of opportunity could range from just a few seconds to several minutes.

An advantage Solomon had was his vantage point. From up on his cliff, he had an unobstructed view of the bay and could therefore make out when the best time to act would present itself. If the people on the isle would have any common sense, they would see for themselves when it would be the best time to dare the cross and have faith in him that he would have the barrier deactivated at that time.

So much could go wrong. But if it went right, the consequences for both him and Auradon would be huge. He himself had little to fear anyway.

Another consolation was that this was still simply a practice run. Today was simply a day to try out. If he would fail to do anything today, he would come back tomorrow and so on. Even if today would bring success, he could still decide to halt the plan for as long as he would see fit.

This ability to single-handedly decide what to do brought him an immense amount of joy. On the isle he had always been able to count on either Uma or Harriet breathing down his neck, suspiciously tracking his every move. This newfound freedom was something he could really get used to, and it angered him that he had to give it up in order to reach his goal. After all, he could only get the cauldron back by making sure Uma and the others could join him.

All these thoughts of planning and consequences should be banned out if he was to be successful, and Solomon knew this. For his magical abilities to be at their most powerful, a clear mind was key.

Solomon calmed himself and raised his arm, pointing it in the general direction of where the barrier was. Initially, he felt nothing. The barrier was miles away naturally, but Solomon guessed that its magical aura should be strong enough for him to access from where he stood right now. After all, the barrier was undoubtedly the most powerful magical phenomenon in the entire world.

When he thus eventually felt the true magical force of the barrier, he was quite taken aback. The power that radiated from the barrier was far beyond anything he had felt before. The combined force from the cauldron and all his father's magical traps was still practically nothing compared to what he was feeling now.

When he was finally completely focused, he could feel wave after wave of pure magical energy flow through him. This energy did not strengthen him though, quite the opposite, it felt as though it was sucking the strength right out of him.

Solomon tried to ignore the incredible effort he had to put into keeping the connection between him and the barrier activated and instead looked for ways to disrupt the magic within it.

If he would be completely successful in doing this, the barrier would be brought down in its entirety. Solomon quickly realized that he would definitely not be able to do this though, at least for now. The magic surrounding the barrier was so powerful that he doubted if he would even be able to spend five minutes connected to it.

Bringing down the barrier was thus an impossible task for now, so he instead had to focus on bringing it down temporarily or creating a hole or temporary gateway.

While far from easy, this appeared to be doable. Solomon experienced the process of trying to create a hole in the barrier as similar to trying to escape from a net, in the sense that he had to keep tearing at it in order to escape. And so, he kept his mind and magical ability focused on the barrier in order to tear it down.

The major difference in trying to create a hole in a net and creating one in the barrier, was that the barrier kept magically resealing itself. In order to not only create a hole but also sustain it, Solomon had to give it his all.

On his first try, he managed to hold on for less than a minute.

On his second, only a little over one.

On his third, almost two minutes.

On his fourth, he fell back to about forty seconds.

It was a frustrating enterprise, standing on his cliff and intensely concentrating on an invisible barrier separating his former home from the rest of the world. Every time he tried to connect with the barrier's magic, he was swiftly exhausted. He did feel his powers return in the periods of rest in between his tries though, so he kept on trying.

This continued for literal hours. Time after time Solomon tried his best to create and sustain an opening in the barrier.

At first, he failed time after time to even create a hole. But that was at first.

After over easily a hundred failed attempts, he finally managed to scratch the surface of the barrier's protective spell long and hard enough to tear it down.

He himself had been so surprised by this unexpected turn of events, that he had lost his balance and had almost tumbled off the cliff.

Solomon didn't care, not at all, he was exuberant. He had done it! He had finally managed to create a hole in the barrier, all by himself!

By his own accounts, he could now be ranked among the most powerful magic wielders that had ever lived. Not even Jafar, Ursula, his father or Maleficent herself had been able to put a dent in the barrier. Naturally, they had all lived inside it ever since its construction so who knows what they could have done outside of it.

This was a major step forward. Knowing that he was now able to create a hole in the barrier meant that a large part of the plan could now be put into action.

Solomon looked at the sky, which was already darkening, meaning that dusk would be setting in very soon. Alerting his associates on the isle of his accomplishments right away would probably not be the best idea. It would be better to wait until tomorrow afternoon to use one of Zevon's potions to alert them, since this would give both him and the people on the isle more time to prepare.

He was able to create a hole in the barrier at this moment but could not sustain it yet. He was sure however that he would be able to do so if he had a little more time to prepare. He would continue to practice for the remainder of this day and the next. Hopefully this would be enough to ensure the successful execution of the next stage of the plan.

And so, he spent nearly the entire day and night further experimenting on the barrier, only deciding to rest once he had been able to not only create a hole, but also keep it open for a reasonable amount of time.

The next day, Solomon thus waited until noon before using the third potion given to him by Zevon, the one that would erupt in green smoke.

It was a clear day, which was perfect considering that the smoke was supposed to be visible from the isle. If everything were to go correct, his accomplices would start preparing and the Auradonians would be none the wiser.

The perimeter was naturally still present, but their focus should mainly be one the isle and a tiny plume of green smoke without any repercussions would not pose to be too much of a spectacle.

Solomon kept checking the watch in his hand every few seconds, to make sure that he would use the potion as close to noon as possible. When the time came, he threw the potion to the ground near the edge of the cliff he stood on.

The small jar shattered, and a large plume of green smoke immediately rose up, into the sky. There was a soft breeze, but not so much that the plume was immediately swept away by the wind. The smoke reached higher and higher into the sky, eventually dissolving into nothing after about a minute.

This had to have been enough of a signal to alert the others on the isle, but he was not sure. What if they hadn't seen it? What if they had forsaken their duty and had not posted anyone to look out for his signal?

It was as if someone on the isle felt his doubts, because several small pieces of firework suddenly flew into the sky from the isle.

Solomon smiled. This was the way the others made clear to him that they had seen his signal, they knew.

This was it, his part for today had been done. Now the others would start preparing for the journey tomorrow and he would wait to help them in escaping.

Not wanting to waste the rest of the day doing nothing, Solomon decided to continue practicing on the barrier, if only to make sure definitely be able to do what had to be done tomorrow.

When he went to sleep later on, he kept waking up throughout the night, even though he was absolutely exhausted after such a tiring day. There was this tension inside of him, again mainly relating to the fear of relying upon his allies.

There was just so much that could go wrong the next day. His accomplices had already proven to not be trustworthy at all. The anger still boiled inside him whenever he thought back to the disastrous exchange between Freddie and Mal.

If Uma and especially Harry had just listened to him, he would have become even more powerful than he already was, and they would have rid themselves of an extremely dangerous potential ally.

But it was not meant to be, and now some of the same people responsible for that calamity were supposed to deliver his most prized possession to him the next day.

Solomon hoped that they knew how much was at stake here. If they were to screw up tomorrow, if something were to go wrong due to their incompetence, then there would be no force on earth powerful enough to refrain him from dishing out some extreme punishment

* * *

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story thus far.**

 **Please leave a review if you feel like it, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Also, if anything is unclear, don't be afraid to ask any questions.**


	5. Chapter 5: Reinforcements

**Here you go, two chapters at once. Since these two were so closely related and they were finished, I thought 'sure, why not?'.**

 **Enjoy!**

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Chapter 5: Reinforcements

"How long do we still just stand here? The diversion has been done, let's go already!" Anthony complained.

"We wait until noon sharp, Tremaine! That was the plan." Uma retorted.

"I know that, but seeing as we already have a clear path for the shore, I don't see why it would be that big of a deal to hurry things up a bit." Anthony continued.

"Horns still has to disable the barrier. If we time this wrong, we won't get out and the entire plan is ruined." Uma replied harshly.

Anthony shrugged, but refrained from making further comments.

The complete group that was supposed to make the dangerous cross into Auradon was gathered near the shore of the isle, hidden from the view of the Auradonians patrolling around the bay. After the sighting of the first plume of green smoke the day before, everyone on the isle had prepared for the cross to be made. When the second plume of green smoke appeared in the sky, the diversion was set. Yet another collection of fireworks and colorful potions was used to create as much of a spectacle as possible on the other side of the isle, making sure that the group would have safe passage.

Another aspect of these diversions that had also been put into play previously was that several isle inhabitants had disguised themselves as members of the crew. This meant that somewhere on the isle a person walked around wearing a replica of Solomon's mask, someone with braids just like Uma's, clothes like Harry's and so on. This was meant to create the illusion that none of them had actually left the isle and would only enhance their chances of going unnoticed on the mainland.

Uma had been joined by her own crew members Harry and Gil, as well as Zevon, Maddy, Anthony, Clay, CJ and two other pirates from Harriet's crew. They were all standing around a rather small rowing boat, just big enough for the entire crew to fit in. The boat was also packed with food, weapons and supplies needed for survival on the mainland, besides those they were also carrying the cauldron.

The tension within the group was palpable, as this plan was as large of an undertaking any of them had ever experienced in their lives. Now that the diversion had started, all that was left for them to do was wait until noon, when Solomon was supposed to disable the barrier and allow the crew to cross.

CJ Hook was standing on the exact opposite side of the boat from Uma. Despite her hatred towards her, Uma found herself looking in CJ's direction multiple times, only to find CJ giving her either distrustful or hateful glances. Uma simply retorted by scoffing every time their eyes met.

CJ's motivations were still a mystery for Uma. Uma had expected that CJ would leave the entire operation after the night that Freddie was captured, but, to her astonishment, CJ had joined up with them the very same day. What sort of offer or threat Solomon had to use to get her on board was unknown to Uma, but she didn't really care anyway. As much as she hated CJ's involvement in the entire operation, knowing that she was unhappy was somewhat of a morale boost for her.

Gil appeared to not fully comprehend the severity of the situation, as always. He had tried multiple times to strike up a conversation with the pirate who stood next to him at the rear of the boat, but the pirate had not reacted positively to say the least.

Both Zevon and Maddy looked nervous but determined. Uma knew that, should things go sideways, Solomon's wrath would mainly be targeted at them, since they were his literal subordinates.

Anthony, Clay and the two other pirates appeared to be the most relaxed of all the people present, and Uma knew why.

All the others had everything to lose if this operation would fail. Uma and Harry would most likely receive a much larger punishment than simply get sent back to the isle if they would get caught. After what they had done to Mal, it would surprise Uma if Beastie Boy would let them walk away with a simple slap on the wrist.

Zevon and Maddy would get filleted alive by Solomon if they were to play a role in him losing the cauldron. There would be no stopping Solomon's wrath if that were to happen.

Anthony and Clay would most likely get sent back to the isle if they would fail. They had no part in capturing and injuring Mal, so they would most likely not receive a heavy penalty. If Uma and Solomon would get captured, they would return to an isle now completely in the hands of Harriet, and they would happily tag along as her associates.

Though Harriet was evil, she did not possess the ambition of Uma or Solomon. Harriet would be content in simply ruling over the isle on her own, no longer having the rival gangs to deal with. Harriet had admitted herself that she had only joined in the plan since it was such a rare and quite large opportunity to invade Auradon.

What would happen to CJ in the case of failure was still somewhat of a mystery to Uma. If she would be allowed to return to the isle, she would fall prey to the then almighty Harriet, but Uma couldn't imagine her being any better off if she would have to join her and Harry.

Harry, in the meantime, was sweating mildly and constantly glancing at his sister.

Uma steadily kept her gaze at Harry Hook's pocket watch, which he held in his hand for her to look at. Uma had for a long time stopped relying on Harry to tell her the time, she might as well have tried to communicate with a chipmunk.

There was only a minute left before noon, and the tense atmosphere around the group reached its peak.

"One more minute." Uma told the others, who softly nodded.

In the distance, Uma could still hear the tumultuous sound of the distraction going on. Fireworks exploding, and the loud cheering of isle inhabitants interchanged each other. In front of her, a clear path through the bay had arisen with nearly all boats of the Auradon patrol having moved to the other side of the isle.

This was it.

"GO! NOW!" Uma yelled, and the crew sprang into action.

Gil and one of the pirates at the back started pushing with all their might, and the boat quickly slid off the shore and into the waters of Auradon Bay. The second they touched the water, Harry, Anthony, Clay and the second pirate jumped into the boat and grabbed the paddles. Zevon and Maddy jumped into the front of the boat and Uma and CJ in the rear, where they pulled Gil and the first pirate in as well.

Harry, Anthony, Clay and the second pirate started rowing as fast as they could, and the boat quickly distanced itself from the shore of the isle. With everyone in the boat, there was now not much to do besides waiting and staying low.

They were rapidly approaching the barrier. There was no way of knowing exactly where the barrier was, so all they could do was guess.

If they would suddenly run into an invisible wall and get flung back to the isle, their question would easily get answered, and if they would be able to safely pass through the barrier, Uma would know.

Ursula's necklace hung around Uma's neck, as it always did. When passing through the barrier, the necklace would emit a bright, golden light to signal the return of its magical capabilities.

As the boat moved further and further into deeper waters, the rowing slowed down as everyone seemingly prepared to be flung back to the isle at any given moment.

Instead, they simply continued smoothly gliding through the waves. Everyone in the boat stared at each other in a confused way, not knowing whether to cheer or not.

Suddenly, Ursula's necklace emitted a bright, golden light and Uma felt a staggering surge of magical power flow through her.

"We're through!" She exclaimed loudly. "We're through! We have passed the barrier! I can feel my magic!"

"Me too!" Maddy enthusiastically shouted as she raised her hands and started conjuring up pink and silver sparks.

"The bastard did it! He kept his word!" Harry said to no one in particular as he looked around.

"Uma! Don't just stand there! Get us to shore!" Zevon yelled.

Instead of giving a snarky comment, Uma stood up and immediately dove into the sea, taking on her giant octopus-like form again. She felt exhilarated the second she submerged into the deep water again, and even more so when her transformation was complete. This was a type of freedom she had not known for quite a while, so she could not stop herself from simply frolicking about underwater for a bit.

When she eventually resurfaced, she saw the shocked expressions on the faces of each of her crew members. Especially Harry, who had known her for so many years but had never seen her in this form, looked lost for words.

Uma rejected the thoughts of kicking either CJ or Zevon overboard and instead grabbed the sides of the boat with two of her tentacles and submerged herself again before taking off in the direction of Auradon.

With Uma's large tentacles pulling the boat, the journey suddenly went a lot faster. Uma was still careful not to be too noticeable as she pulled the boat behind her, it would now be a shame if some Auradon patrol spotted them after they had already passed through the barrier.

Barely ten minutes after passing through the barrier, the boat reached the Auradon shore, where the crew immediately leapt out and dragged it inland.

When Uma got ashore after changing back into her human form, she saw the others grab everything necessary out of the boat before hiding it from view. Everyone carried their own weapons and bag of personal supplies. Gil and Clay both carried large bags filled with food and cooking supplies and the two pirates, whose names Uma still didn't know, carried the cauldron in between them.

"That was incredible." Harry said in awe when Uma joined up with him.

"Do you say that every girl that transforms into a giant water monster?" Uma replied flirtatiously.

"Never met another." Harry replied with a grin.

"Er-hem, could you maybe spare your lovey-dovey behavior for when we find Solomon and reach our camp?" Zevon asked annoyed.

"Why don't you just stick to your own business and I won't drive my hook up your arse?" Harry replied agitatedly.

Zevon seemed kind of taken aback but refrained from anymore insults or snarky comments. "We first have to get further inland to make sure we don't get spotted by Auradon authorities, Solomon will track us down and join up with us afterwards." He then stated.

"We know the plan, you don't have to keep reciting it just because you think you're the leader now." Anthony teased.

"Well, who would you elect to be the leader, hm?" Zevon retorted.

"We don't elect anyone! Uma, Harriet and Solomon lead this plan together, but since neither Harriet or Solomon is anywhere in sight, Uma is in charge!" Harry made clear.

"Well, I don't exactly hear Uma make any commands." Zevon snapped back.

"That's because you never shut your trap. So, if you would just stay silent for more than one second, you might be able to hear what I have to say." Uma scoffed.

"Jeez, you should really work on conversing in a friendly manner, Uma." Anthony joked after disinterestedly following the back and forth.

"And why don't you work on being less of a lazy asshole and actually start contributing!" Uma retorted.

Anthony's look darkened, and both he and Clay dropped their respective bags and slowly reached for their weapons.

"Maybe not the smartest idea, lads." Harry said from behind Uma as he pulled his own sword and nodded at Uma.

Anthony and Clay both looked and saw her necklace start to glow. After a few more hesitant glances, both dropped their arms and picked up their bags again.

"Good boys." Uma grinned. "Now, anything coming from your end?" She then asked Zevon.

Zevon scratched his chin, not looking Uma in the eye. "I don't really feel like getting drenched right now, so no. But know that I only serve Solomon."

"But you will listen to me nonetheless." Uma replied.

Before Zevon could respond, CJ gave a loud, exasperated sigh, picked up her bag and started walking away from the group.

"Hey! CJ! What do you think you're doing?" Harry yelled.

"Heading further inland, as was the plan, dipshit!" CJ spat back.

Harry's face reddened with anger, but he gathered his own stuff and headed after his sister nonetheless, followed by Uma and the rest of the group.

It did not take Harry very long to catch up with his sister and they talked loud enough for Uma to follow the conversation. "Hey! Don't just take off like that! We need to stick together."

CJ snorted. "Yeah, right. Because all of you have been acting like a real team."

"I didn't say that we have to like it. We just have to accept it for now until we defeat the good guys." Harry replied.

"Because everything after that will be all rosy and cheerful, right? It won't be like we'll be sitting on a pile of destruction with that lunatic as our tyrant." CJ ranted.

"We won't let it come to that. I won't let it come to that." Harry told her.

"Please cut the shit, Harry. It's getting really tiresome to keep listening to your false promises." CJ replied as she sped up.

Harry angrily grabbed CJ by her arm and pulled her to him. "Now just listen to me for-"

Harry wasn't able to finish his sentence because CJ quickly turned and slapped him in the face, hard. The impact of the slap caused Harry's face to snap back and CJ was able to yank her arm free.

Uma intervened before any more harm could be done by getting in between the two and shoving CJ back.

"You watch yourself now!" She told CJ, who didn't reply and simply turned around and walked on.

"And you…" She said to Harry, who was rubbing the cheek CJ just slapped, his face scrunched up in anger. "Why do you still pine for your sister? To me it seems like she has made it abundantly clear that she does not want your support, nor has she done anything to earn it."

"She doesn't know what she wants, the dumb brat!" Harry complained.

"Exactly. She does not deserve you, Harry. As your captain, I want you to stop trying to get through to her. Let her wallow in her own misery." Uma softly said.

"But that's the damn thing, I don't want her to be miserable. As much as she annoys me, as much as she objects and opposes me, I still care for her." Harry admitted.

"But why? In my eyes, all I can see is a spoiled, self-centered child." Uma spat, looking maliciously in CJ's direction.

"She's family." Harry hesitantly explained.

"Please, Harry. That can't be the excuse. Harriet is your family just as much as CJ is, yet I doubt whether or not you would jump through hoops for her in a similar way." Uma replied.

Harry shrugged. "You got me there. Harriet is no more than a damned bitch of a sister to me. It just feels different with CJ."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you if you can't give me anything reasonable to work with. For now, I would simply advice you to drop it. You're really not helping anyone with your pathetic bickering." Uma harshly told him.

Harry looked at her perplexed. "Ouch, where did that come from?"

"I need you to snap out of it. I have no use for a first mate constantly hung up on reconciling with everyone." Uma explained.

"I won't fail you, Uma. I never will!" Harry replied confidently.

"Good." Uma replied as she softly stroked his cheek before moving on.

As had been clearly stated before, the plan for the small group was now to head further into Auradon, where Solomon would hopefully be able to pick up their trail.

Solomon had explained his ability to track magic, that was the way he had found Uma when they were both in Auradon. With Solomon's enhanced abilities and Maddy's presence as well, tracking them down should not pose that much of a challenge.

Their goal at the moment was to find a suitable location for a temporary camp. Somewhere where they would not be disturbed by any nosy Auradonians. As they moved further into Auradon, they were thus careful not to get to close to any civilized areas.

It was Harry who eventually found a nice clearing in the middle of a forest. It was already close to nightfall and so everyone agreed to spend the night there. Uma was naturally more accustomed to caves along the shoreline and felt as though they were way too exposed out here, but even she'd had enough of the constant complaining of Anthony and Zevon and agreed to set up camp.

Later that night, all members of the group sat around a campfire eating. This was but a small period of peace amongst the constant bickering that had been going on.

Now that the stressful part of the plan, crossing the bay into Auradon, had been completed, every villain was now under the impression that they were allowed to do whatever they wanted again.

This led to both Anthony and Zevon competing for what supposedly was the best sleeping spot, which had already been claimed by Gil. Once again, all weapons were drawn, which was followed by a lot of shouting, before everything returned to being relatively peaceful.

This peace was once again interrupted when Maddy was trying out her magic and somehow managed to turn Clay Clayton's hair pink. After the necessary amount of time wasted by simply laughing at him, Maddy changed his hair back to normal, but not before Clay had uttered nearly every curse and insult known to mankind.

A more serious confrontation occurred just before dinner, when one of Harriet's pirates had apparently tried to put the moves on CJ. He had seemingly tried to put his hands on her, which only led to CJ breaking nearly every finger on his right hand and tossing a pan filled with boiling hot water on his head.

In the tumultuous shouting that followed this event, Uma noticed Harry simply sitting back and watching on instead of coming to CJ's aid. This pleased Uma, as Harry had apparently listened to her and now no longer tried to involve himself in CJ's life.

Now, during dinner, everyone was too busy stuffing their mouths to pay any attention to the others. CJ sat on the exact opposite side of the pirate she had previously injured. The pirate in question now had a red, puffy face and a hand wrapped in bandages.

"So, how do we proceed tomorrow, 'captain'?" Zevon asked with a sarcastic emphasis on the word captain.

Uma decided to let this slight sign of disrespect slide. "We stay here. We have a secure position, away from any nosy Auradonians, and besides, it will be easier for Horns to track us if we stay in one place."

"Have I not asked you to cut it out with the nicknames already?" Zevon retorted, clearly annoyed.

"I believe so, but I just don't feel like listening. And besides, it's not like Horns can hear me right now." Uma replied.

"Is it too much to simply show some respect for once?" Maddy piped in.

"When the person in question has done nothing to deserve it? Yes!" Uma answered.

"He is the one that got us off the isle! He was the one that created a hole in the barrier! He has come closer in taking over Auradon than all of us put together!" Zevon ranted.

"Everything special about him he either got from his father, the cauldron or other people. I'll have you know that I once captured the king and I escaped into Auradon without any help!" Uma snapped back.

"And you were promptly defeated by Mal both times, weren't you, Shrimpy?" Maddy teased.

Harry immediately sprung up and drew his sword. Maddy and Zevon followed his example, but instead of a sword Maddy conjured up sparks and Zevon revealed a bright potion in a flask. Uma got up as well, slightly apprehensive of their two opponents. The rest of their company simply looked on. Anthony, Clay and the other pirates with amused smiles, CJ with scornful anger and Gil with plain confusion.

"Want a chance to take that back?" Harry threatened Maddy.

"Do you?" Maddy retorted.

"All that squabbling and arguing is really not one of your better qualities. I could hear all of you from a mile off." A voice suddenly said from behind Uma.

Uma immediately turned around and all the others also stared in the same direction.

Solomon emerged into the flickering light of the campfire, his eyes almost as black as the darkness behind him. "Hello everyone, long time no see."

"Solomon!" Both Zevon and Maddy exclaimed and they bowed for him.

Anthony, Clay and the two pirates hadn't moved, but only because they looked petrified with fear. Gil's mouth had fallen open and he just looked shocked. CJ had sat up straight and stared at Solomon with both anticipation and hostility.

Both Uma and Harry had not moved a muscle, only sharing a brief look before concentrating on Solomon.

"So, you were able to track us down?" Uma asked.

"Wouldn't be here if I hadn't been." Solomon grinned.

"Just wonderful." Harry mumbled as he sheathed his sword again.

Solomon ignored his comment. "I was able to see you make the cross from my position on the cliffs, I assume that you were successful in transporting all necessities." He said with a hint of desperation.

"We have brought the cauldron, lord. It's still intact." Zevon hastily answered. "You two! Get the cauldron!" He then commanded the two nameless pirates.

Both pirates hesitantly glanced at Anthony and Clay, but when they showed no signs of protest, they stood up and walked to the center of the camp, where the cauldron was hidden.

"You made us wait!" Uma told Solomon.

"It took some time to find a proper location, but you're all here now so it doesn't matter." Solomon disinterestedly replied.

"Doesn't matter!? We were cooked up on that rotten island for about a month, Horns." Uma complained.

"But you are here now! So, it does not matter!" Solomon repeated.

Before Uma had any chance to reply, Solomon suddenly gasped and moved past her. The two pirates returned with the cauldron between them. The pirate with the broken hand was having trouble raising his half so Solomon immediately approached them and took the cauldron from them.

"Oh, thank god." Solomon mumbled as he knelt down next to the cauldron and admired it with pure desire. "It's been far too long."

"Do you need some privacy, or what?" Harry joked as everyone approached Solomon.

Solomon did not respond.

"So, Solomon. What's the plan? Have you found a suitable base of operations?" Uma asked.

"Yes, I have, and we will travel to it tomorrow." Solomon replied.

"And after that?" Clay asked.

"That is when the fun begins." Solomon said mysteriously.

* * *

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story thus far.**

 **Please leave a review if you feel like it, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Also, if anything is unclear, don't be afraid to ask any questions.**


	6. Chapter 6: Support

Chapter 6: Support

"Alright, now try a sideways left turn again." Aden instructed.

"Copy." Archer said, slightly panting.

Archer focused on the training dummy in front of him, which was holding a wooden practice sword, raised Excalibur, performed yet another perfectly executed sideways left turn and struck the prop sword out of the dummy's hand.

"Excellent work. Now if only the dummies would fight back, right?" A voice loudly said from behind him.

Archer looked back and saw Ben enter the S.A.S. arena, which Archer used to practice at for the time being.

Ever since the rescue mission on the isle and his subsequent injuries, Archer had eagerly waited for permission of the doctors to start practicing again. Luckily for him, his leg had healed perfectly, and he was given the green light sooner than expected. For over two weeks, he had now spent nearly three hours every day in the arena to regain his form.

"I had actually asked Chad to spar with me, but I found out that the dummy is better in holding onto his sword." Archer told Ben.

Ben grinned and approached him and Aden. "How are you doing? How is the leg?"

Archer raised his leg, which was still encased in a brace but was no longer bandaged up. "Pretty good, still a bit stiff though."

"When's the brace coming off?" Ben followed up.

"Not for another week at least. It's been feeling fine, but I'd rather not take any risks. The last thing I need is to injure myself walking down the stairs before the fighting starts." Archer answered.

"We have not made any plans to start fighting." Ben said coolly.

Archer waved his hand. "Pff, come on Ben. We both know it will go down at some point. Those villains won't have gone through all this trouble to just remain where they are."

"We can still hope for a peaceful resolution though, right?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry, okay. I'm just being realistic." Archer said.

"You're being your usual hot-headed self, always planning ahead for the next fight." Ben replied with a grin.

"Again, just being realistic." Archer answered.

"Expecting a peaceful resolution should be realistic." Ben retorted.

"You did not see them on the isle, Ben." Aden interjected. "Their numbers were high, and they were armed. With all that we found out it surely looked like they were preparing for an invasion."

"I know what you saw. I just need to have hope that we can end this without suffering any further casualties." Ben said with emphasis on the word further.

Both Archer and Aden nodded.

"Any news from the perimeter?" Archer asked.

Ben shrugged. "Nothing new. The villains appear to keep trying to perform the same ritual. We see smoke and fireworks nearly every other day now, but so far we've not seen anyone leaving."

"It'd be better if they stayed there." Aden said. "But you still have no idea what sort of ritual it is?"

"No, I asked Lance, Fairy Godmother, Mal… You name it. But no one's had a clue so far." Ben replied.

"How's Mal doing? Is she allowed to leave the house yet?" Archer asked, slightly worried.

"She is doing great. She had a rough patch shortly after arriving but has now been making strides. Lately, we have been taking walks outside more and more and she has already stopped using her crutches." Ben answered.

"She's a tough one, I'll give her that." Archer grinned.

"She's been going on and on about how everyone needs to stop smothering her. Furthermore, she has made it abundantly obvious that a simple cast will not refrain her from trying to walk." Ben said with a smile.

"Her attitude does not surprise me at all, if what I have learned about her for these past months has been any indication." Archer replied.

"Something you have in common." Ben said, nodding at Archer's braced leg.

Archer shrugged. "If this is your way of saying that we're both energetic bad-asses, then so be it."

"I see it more as saying you're both reckless individuals incapable of planning ahead." Ben replied.

"Burn!" Aden exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Really?" Archer asked Aden.

Aden shrugged. "Sorry if the truth hurts, my friend."

"I think we're done here." Archer announced. "Help me put all this away, will you?" He then said, gesturing at all the equipment.

"How's that thing with the press been going, by the way?" Aden asked Ben as he dragged the dummy back into the storage space.

"Horrible to say the least. We have given the statement regarding Mal's injuries, but the press just won't let it go. They want to know everything; why she went to the isle, how she got there, who injured her and all that." Ben summed up.

"Well, it is their job to investigate." Aden said shrugging.

"Yeah, but they've been getting quite annoying. Lumière has actually had to forcefully remove some of them around the property of Beast Castle, and a reporter has apparently also broken into Mal's room at Auradon prep." Ben said.

"What!? That's like highly illegal." Archer exclaimed in a surprised tone.

"Yep, but Evie caught the culprit and delivered him to Fairy Godmother. I don't know what punishment she has dished out, but it's sure refrain others from trying anything similar." Ben explained.

Aden shuddered. "Well, I wouldn't wanna be anywhere near the receiving end of her punishment. I would almost feel sorry for the asshole."

Archer put away the last of the practice swords, sheathed Excalibur, and joined up with Ben and Aden. "What do you gentlemen say to a late lunch? If we're lucky, we can still catch the meatball-subs in the cafeteria."

"I'm in." Aden said as he headed for the door.

"Actually, Archer, do you mind if we have a word? I need to speak with you one on one." Ben said.

"Ehm, sure. We'll see you at the lunch yard, Aden." Archer told Aden, who nodded before leaving.

"What's this about? Something about the cauldron? Or that Solomon guy?" Archer asked.

"What? No! Why does everyone assume that?" Ben replied slightly perplexed.

Archer shrugged. "It's kind of the hot topic right now, you know."

"But still. I mean, I would discuss that with all the other guys too, right." Ben responded.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever. So, what is this about then?" Archer asked.

"I want to discuss something else with you, something personal." Ben said.

"Okay, shoot." Archer replied as he sat down on one of the team benches at the edge of the arena.

"It's very personal." Ben continued. "So, I would appreciate it if none of this left the room."

Archer pulled up an eyebrow. "Okay, you're beginning to sound kinda paranoid, man. Just blurt it out. Come on, it's me."

Ben opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He opened it again but closed it again before uttering a single word.

Archer pulled up both eyebrows as he inspected Ben's behavior. Ben was never one to be lost for words or feel particular awkwardness when discussing any topic really. Him and Archer had known each other a very long time and this secretive behavior was really something new.

"You're acting strange." Archer said straight to the point. "What's this about? Come on, spill it."

"I will. It's just that- It's very personal!" Ben stuttered.

"You have made that abundantly clear, yes. And because of that and your behavior, you have managed to peak my interest. So, please state what's on your mind." Archer said.

Ben exhaled loudly. "It's about Mal."

"Okay, good start. What else?" Archer asked.

"It's about our relationship." Ben continued.

"Should it not remain between the two of you then?" Archer asked slightly uncomfortable.

"No, no. This really is something I need council for." Ben answered.

"Ah, and that's why you came to the smartest person you know." Archer said with a grin.

"Can we please keep this serious?" Ben pleaded.

"Alright, no jokes then." Archer conceded as he leaned back and looked at Ben expectantly.

"I want to ask Mal to marry me." Ben suddenly blurted out.

Now it was Archer's turn to be petrified. Archer was surprised to say the least, even with all the tension Ben had amassed before making his announcement. With his thoughts pretty much shutting down, all he could do at the moment was remain seated where he was and stare at Ben with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"Archer? Did you hear what I said?" Ben asked in a hesitant tone.

"Wha-? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I heard. It's just- ehm, something to take in, you know." Archer slowly replied.

"So?" Ben went on.

"So?" Archer recited.

"What do you think?" Ben asked.

"Could you repeat what you just said?" Archer replied.

"I-I want to ask Mal to marry me." Ben repeated.

"Right." Archer said slowly. "Right."

"So, what do you think about this?" Ben asked.

Archer bit his lip, simply staring at pretty much every item in the room before focusing on Ben again. "Have you thought this through?"

"Y-yes, why? Do you think that I shouldn't do it?" Ben asked panicky.

"What? No! No! I'm not saying that!" Archer responded loudly as he stood up.

"Then why ask that question?" Ben retorted, slightly louder than Archer.

"Because I want you to have thought this through! Asking someone to marry you is kind of a big deal!" Archer spoke even louder.

"Well, I have thought this through!" Ben now basically yelled.

"Well, then I'm happy for you!" Archer yelled back.

"Why?" Ben replied, slightly softer.

"Because getting married and establishing such a connection with a person you love is a wonderful thing! Furthermore, Mal is good for you and the kingdom, and if you believe that you're ready, then I can only be happy about such a good thing happening!" Archer ranted.

Ben remained quiet for about a minute after Archer's tirade. "Do you mean that?" He eventually asked.

"Of course, I do." Archer answered. "But god damn, Ben, this is a large step."

"I know that, but I have given it a lot of thought." Ben replied.

"You marrying Mal. That will be one hell of a thing to behold." Archer grinned.

Ben matched his smile and the two met for a big hug in the middle of the arena.

"So, you definitely support my decision?" Ben asked.

"Yes. Come on, you two are made for each other. But, why would you need my support in the first place?" Archer retorted.

"I just want to see it from all angles. I'm very sure of my case but I have been asking some of the people closest to me for their advice." Ben answered.

"Wait, so other people knew of this before me?" Archer replied, semi-offended.

"Well, yeah. During a dinner party I told my parents and the other VK's. Oh, Lonnie, Doug, Jane and Jordan were there as well." Ben explained.

Archer squinted. "But you did not feel the need to invite me to apparently the most important dinner party of the year!?"

Ben crossed his arms. "Are you for real?"

Archer kept his stoic expression for about one more second before starting to smile again. "Nah, you got me. I couldn't care less. So, what did the others say?"

"Everyone supported my decision. Well, eventually. Dad was a bit hesitant to support me initially." Ben explained.

"Oh, damn. What did he say?" Archer asked.

"That I was far too young, hadn't thought things through etcetera, but he came around eventually." Ben said.

"What actually made you decide to want to ask Mal to marry you?" Archer followed up.

"Excuse me?" Ben questioned.

"Ehm, why now? I mean, we all knew you and Mal were going to get married eventually, but what made you decide to want to ask her now?"

"Ehm, well. Actually, I decided to ask her the day you got her back from the isle." Ben said.

"Oh, back then already? So, why then?"

"It was just… Seeing her like that, all beat up and such, just made me realize I didn't want to wait any longer. When I later heard about that Solomon guy and the black cauldron, I just thought; what if we don't make it? We will be at war and there's never a guarantee of making it out alive. I don't want to die without having married Mal before that." Ben explained.

Archer's expression had hardened while he listened to Ben's story. "You won't die. We will win this war and live to tell the tale, this I promise you."

Ben grinned and slapped Archer on the shoulder. "And you were one to talk about being realistic."

"Do you want me to unsheathe Excalibur and make an oath on this?" Archer sarcastically asked as he reached for the sword on his back.

"No, no. Come on, be serious." Ben replied with a slight smile.

"I am. We both know this war is coming, and as a leading commander in your army I have to ensure the safety of my king and soon to be queen."

"I wouldn't want anyone else at my back." Ben grinned, and he grabbed Archer's shoulder again. "You're a good friend."

"I know that." Archer replied.

The two stayed silent for a small period after that.

"So, is there a ring already?" Archer eventually asked.

"What? Oh, yeah. I got Dizzy Tremaine to make it for me. She's from the isle, so she gave it a bit of an 'isle touch'. I really wanted to have that side of Mal reflected in the ring." Ben explained.

"How romantic." Archer sarcastically gushed. "And do you know when you're gonna propose? And how?"

"I do, but I'm not going to tell you. This is something that will stay between Mal and me." Ben said.

"You're gonna do it at the enchanted lake, aren't you?" Archer grinned.

Ben blushed at this. "Wh-what? Why would I do it there?"

"You know, because that's the place of your first date and such. Plus, I have to admit it's one of the more beautiful places in the kingdom." Archer explained.

"You will hear about it after it happened. Until then, keep your mouth shut about it." Ben threatened.

"What about the troop? Surely they are allowed to know." Archer asked.

"Yeah, the troop is allowed to know. I just wanted to discuss it with you personally at first." Ben said.

"Cool, cool." Archer mumbled before sighing as he looked at Ben.

"What?" Ben asked.

"My little Bennie getting married, you make me feel so old." Archer joked as he messed with Ben's hair.

Ben laughingly slapped his hand away. "Damn right. And before you have even had a real girlfriend."

Archer blushed at this. "Now that's a low blow, man."

"It's true though. Come on, you gotta get involved with someone at some point in your life." Ben went on.

"I know that! And I'll also let you know when I meet someone suitable." Archer retorted.

"Why not try to go on a date with someone? There are plenty of nice girls right here in Auradon." Ben offered.

"But none that I like in that way." Archer replied agitated.

"Without even getting to know them?" Ben continued.

"But they know me! All these Auradon girls don't-."

"-Look beyond your title, I know. Like I haven't heard this speech a thousand times before already." Ben gave in.

"Is it too much to ask to really want to have a connection with the girl you're going out with?" Archer whined.

"I guess not." Ben shrugged.

"You may not realize how lucky you are with Mal. She has never given a shit about your title." Archer complained.

"That she has not." Ben admitted.

"Maybe I should start looking among the villain kids then?" Archer offered.

"Well, you already went through all that with Freddie. So, who's left?" Ben asked.

"Well, there's Evie, who's taken. And… that's pretty much it." Archer said.

"There are more, many more. Here at school or at the orphanage." Ben replied.

Archer shrugged. "I haven't had the chance to meet them all. Only glances at most of them when we visited."

"Anyone caught your eye?" Ben asked with a grin.

Archer thought about this. During the visit at the orphanage, many girls had interacted with him. Most of these were far younger than him but some were more or less around his age. As much as he tried though, he could not really remember any specific names or faces.

Then his thoughts suddenly switched to another time he had spent around villain kids, the day he had spent on the isle saving Mal. He remembered his lengthy sword fight with the blonde girl, CJ Hook. As much as it astounded him, he was able to recall nearly every detail about her. From her taunting smile and her golden-brown colored eyes, to the way her braid would swing around during their duel.

"Weirdly, someone has." Archer told Ben.

"Oh, who?" Ben grinned.

Archer turned to Ben, a more serious look in his eyes. "When I just started thinking about any villain girls I've met, the only one that popped into my mind was CJ Hook."

Ben stiffened and looked at Archer with confusion. "CJ Hook?"

"Yes." Archer hesitantly answered.

"The girl you fought with on the isle?" Ben continued.

"Yes." Archer repeated.

"The girl who stabbed you in the leg?"

"That's the one." Archer confirmed.

"You want to start dating her?" Ben asked with even more confusion.

"What? No! Of course not! She's supposedly our enemy for god's sake!" Archer clarified.

"So, why bring her up in the first place?" Ben questioned.

"I don't know, she just came to mind. She's a villain kid after all." Archer explained.

"But why her? What's so special about her?" Ben asked, now genuinely interested.

Archer shrugged. "She was a really good fighter, and I mean really good. We had a bit of banter while we fought, and she just never stopped taunting. She was also very pretty, beautiful really." He thought back with a smile.

Ben raised his eyebrows. "Sounds like someone has a bit of a crush."

Archer blushed even more. "No, no, no! This is not a crush, I'm just stating the truth."

"Dude, I have never heard you talk about a girl this way." Ben went on.

"Because I have never met a girl like her before! But this is not a crush! I am not romantically interested in her whatsoever! She stabbed me! She's working with the enemy! She's Harry Hook's sister for god's sake!" Archer ranted.

Ben's look darkened again when Harry Hook was mentioned. "Alright, alright. I get it. Just joking around a bit."

"We can discuss my love life at a later time." Archer said. "Right now, we have bigger things to worry about, planning your wedding for example."

"She hasn't even said yes yet. I haven't even asked her yet." Ben replied with a grin.

Archer waved his hand. "Like she's gonna say no. For one thing, you two are made for each other. And for the other, it would become terribly awkward if you two were to lead us into battle later on with a refused proposal hanging over your head."

Ben laughed. "Let's hope you're right."

Archer grabbed Ben by the shoulder again. "Let's hope indeed. Now come on, let's also hope they have not run out of meatball-subs yet."

* * *

 **A big thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with the story so far.**

 **As always, please leave a review if you feel like it, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions if anything is unclear, I always respond.**


	7. Chapter 7: Melodrama

Chapter 7: Melodrama

"Hey guys, I'm back!" Mal enthusiastically said as she walked through the door of her and Evie's room.

After a few weeks held up in Beast Castle, Mal had had enough and wanted to go back to school. While both Ben and Fairy Godmother made clear that she was allowed to be excused from school for an even more extended period, Mal wanted to hear none of it. She had already missed a large part of her education and hated the idea of having to catch up on her work later on when her duties as 'lady of the court' would come into play again as well.

Ben would also accompany her and take up residence in his room at Auradon prep again. He had already removed all her personal belongings from her room in Beast Castle and sent them back to the school. It was only now, several hours later, that Mal herself arrived.

The only signs of her horrific injuries sustained from her trip to the isle were a large brace around her right ankle, a band aid around her upper left arm and a few cuts here and there that were almost healed. The scars that still remained on her arms and torso were mostly hidden from view.

"Yay! Finally, you have no idea how boring it has been without you!" Evie told her best friend as she rushed to the door to meet her in a hug.

"Sure, just act like we're not here." Carlos said from Mal's bed, where he had been tinkering with a small mobile-like device.

"You know what I mean, it feels like I have my sister back." Evie replied as she pulled Mal even closer to her.

"And what am I then?" Dizzy Tremaine squeaked as she put up her head from an impressive number of colorful pieces of fabric strewn across one side of the room.

"You're my little sister, Mal is like my twin." Evie explained.

"Hey Dizzy, how is everything?" Mal asked as she slightly limped into the room.

"Terrible! I need to find the best possible color pattern for my newest design, but nothing comes to mind." Dizzy complained as she threw a couple of pieces of fabric across the room.

"You poor thing." Mal grinned as she plopped down on her own bed next to Carlos.

"Don't worry, Dizzy. I'm here to help, and when we work together the product will never be short of amazing." Evie beamed as she joined her little protégée in the heap of colored fabrics.

"Don't mind me! It's not like I could use any help!" A voice suddenly shouted from the door opening.

Jay entered, with the cage holding Maleficent the lizard under one arm and a small bag under the other. He had brought Mal back from the castle and had volunteered to take the last of her stuff with her as well.

"Sorry Jay." Mal told him as he entered.

"I don't mind if you take some rest, but these others have perfectly able bodies." Jay replied as he placed the cage on Mal's bedside cabinet.

"You're doing great." Carlos mumbled as he tweaked with a couple of loose wires.

"What's that?" Mal asked as she leaned over to study the small device.

"It's supposed to become a portable lie detector, but I'm having some issues." Carlos replied.

"A lie detector! Damn!" Mal exclaimed, visibly impressed.

"Yeah. Do you see these blue wires? You place them on a person's wrist and the device will supposedly measure heartbeat and perspiration of the skin, it will then be able to tell if a person lies or not." Carlos explained.

"So, what's wrong with it?" Mal asked.

"Well, at the moment all it does is give you a mild electrical shock." Carlos replied.

Both Mal and Jay snickered at his answer and so Carlos focused back on his device.

"Do you want this anywhere, Mal?" Jay said as he held up her bag.

"Just put in on the chair, I'll sort it out later myself." Mal replied.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day? Maybe we can finally hang out again. Just the four of us." Jay proposed.

"I don't have anything planned, so sure. Why not?" Mal answered with a smile.

"Is Ben gonna be joining us? Where is he, actually?" Evie asked.

"He went to see Archer. Ever since I moved in, Ben has had little time to spend with the troop." Mal explained.

"Which was the reason I got burdened with carrying duty." Jay joked.

"How's everything going between you and Ben?" Evie asked as she sat down next to Mal.

Mal pulled up an eyebrow. "It's going great, better than ever actually."

"Oh yeah? What's it like?" Evie continued as she put her head on Mal's shoulder.

"That's not really something I feel like discussing in front of the guys." Mal answered.

"Really? After all we've been through!? Remember that I was the one who started girl talk!" Carlos remarked.

"And you did great." Mal complemented as she patted Carlos on his shoulder. "But what happens with me and Ben stays between me and Ben, except if Evie gets really nosy."

"Is it illegal for me to take an interest in my friend's love life?" Evie questioned.

"No, but there's really not that much to tell." Mal replied.

"Oh, come on. He's the king of Auradon and you are a magically powerful former villain for crying out loud. Movies could be made about your story!" Evie exclaimed.

"Pff, who would wanna see those?" Mal responded.

Evie shrugged. "But the point is that I'm happy for you, Mal. What you and Ben have is something everyone should have in their life at one point or another."

"Aww, thanks E." Mal heartfully replied as she put her arm around her best friend.

"I can't wait until you guys get married." Evie said dreamily.

Jay, who just took a big gulp of water, choked and spat out half of the water across the room. Carlos made a weird, twitchy movement with his hands, which caused several of the wires in his device to suddenly start sparking violently. Dizzy, who had been precisely cutting into a piece of fabric with scissors, also made a weird movement and tore off nearly half of it.

Mal stared at her friends perplexed as they all hastily tried to cover up their slip-ups. "You guys okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine." Carlos said as he immediately repositioned some wires.

"Never better." Jay coughed.

Dizzy just squealed and dove beneath her pile of fabrics again.

Mal looked back at Evie, on whose face a small blush had appeared.

"What's everyone's problem?" Mal asked.

"No idea." Evie slowly replied.

"What was it you just said?" Mal continued.

"That I'm happy for you and Ben." Evie hastily answered.

"After that." Mal followed up.

"That I can't wait for you guys to get married." Evie breathlessly replied.

Mal gave a small laugh. "Well, that might not happen for a while. I made it clear to Ben that I absolutely do not feel the need to get married right away."

"But you will marry him eventually, right? I mean, who else is it gonna be?" Evie asked.

Mal stared back at Evie, who seemed almost panicky. "I will marry Ben, eventually. There's no one in my life like him and I don't think that will change."

Evie seemed extremely relieved after Mal's statement. "Good." She said.

"Why the sudden interest in our relationship?" Mal asked.

Evie blushed again. "What do you mean?"

"All the questions, things about me and Ben getting married. What's going on E?" Mal continued.

"Oh, nothing. Just happy to have some proper girl talk again." Evie quickly replied as she stood up and focused back on the pile of fabrics.

"Still, we've never really gone into depth about my relationship with Ben. You know I like to have my privacy about certain things." Mal went on.

"Yeah, I do. It's just… You know… Forget it, it's nothing." Evie rambled.

"What's going on E?" Mal asked, raising an eyebrow. "I can tell when you're lying to me. I don't need Carlos' fancy device for that."

Evie opened her mouth, but no sound came out. When it appeared as though she would not produce any sound, Mal wanted to repeat her question.

At that moment, a diversion came into the room in the shape of Ben. He was panting slightly and desperately looked around the room.

"Ben!? What's wrong?" Mal asked as she stood up off her bed.

"I-ehm, well…" Ben began stuttering.

"How was everything with Archer, Ben? Surely you have something important to share." Carlos said in a pervasive tone.

"I do!" Ben enthusiastically yelled to no one in particular. "I do have something! Something where you can be of use."

"What is it? Something wrong with Archer?" Mal asked as she limped over to him.

"First a kiss." Ben grinned.

Mal grinned back and the two hugged before sharing a brief kiss.

"Okay, so." Ben began after he and Mal separated. "I just talked with Archer, and we got to the point of his love life."

"Ooh, spicy." Evie gushed, and she joined Mal at her side.

"How did you get to talking about that?" Mal asked.

"Doesn't matter." Ben hastily answered. "What matters is what Archer said. He said that he didn't want to date any Auradon girls because they don't look beyond his title and he wants to find someone he can really share a connection with."

"Understandable, if Audrey can be described as somewhat of a posterchild for all Auradon girls." Jay joined in.

"Audrey may be a bit worse than most." Ben said.

"Seriously, how could you have ever dated her?" Jay asked.

Ben shrugged. "No idea looking back on it."

"Ben!" Mal said loudly as she snapped her fingers. "What about Archer?"

"Oh yeah! So, he said he didn't want to date any Auradon girls, so he himself came up with the idea of looking for villain girls." Ben continued.

"Okay, so what's the problem?" Evie asked. "Has anyone caught his eye?"

"He may have denied it, but I think someone has." Ben replied.

"Who? Was it someone at the orphanage?" Mal asked.

"Or has he realized that he does reciprocate Freddie's feelings?" Jay joked.

Evie slapped him on his arm. "That is not something to joke about!"

"Guys!" Carlos said in a pervasive tone. "Who did Archer talk about, Ben?"

"CJ Hook." Ben said to the point.

All people in the room, including Dizzy, pretty much jumped in surprise.

"CJ Hook!?" Mal shouted. "He likes CJ Hook!?"

"Now, he didn't say that he liked her. We just talked about any isle girls that caught his eye and he said that CJ was the one that sprung to mind." Ben explained.

"But the only time that he even met her was at the isle, right? When she put a dagger into his leg." Jay said.

"Exactly. He said himself that he knows she is supposedly our enemy, but then he went on to say how he admired her fighting style and how pretty he thought she was." Ben continued.

"Well, to be honest, she's kinda hot." Jay bluntly stated, causing Mal, Evie and Carlos to slap him on the arm.

"Archer said all this!?" Mal went on. "Has he gone mad?"

"Of course not." Ben sighed. "But he has never had a serious relationship and I doubt whether or not he can accurately pinpoint his feelings."

"Even so, a fight to the death can hardly be described as the perfect meet-cute." Mal replied.

"Again, he never said that he liked her that way. She just sprung into his mind." Ben clarified.

"So why bother telling this to us if it means nothing?" Mal asked.

"Because I have never heard him talk about a girl this way. The way he described her, I could see the joy in his eyes. He might not completely realize his feelings himself yet." Ben explained.

"I see this as a sign." Evie suddenly piped in. "A sign for us to start intervening in his love life. After that whole debacle with Freddie, and now this."

"Are you saying that we should set him up with someone?" Carlos asked.

"Exactly." Evie replied.

"Archer will never agree to that, he doesn't believe in other people choosing someone for him, that's why his parents never arranged anything." Ben clarified.

"Well, he's not giving us much of a choice. Anything would be better than having him pine for a nutcase like CJ Hook." Mal said.

Evie clapped her hands enthusiastically. "Ooh, this is so exciting. I haven't played cupid in far too long."

"If you guys manage to be subtle, then sure, try your best." Ben grinned.

Evie squealed. "Okay. Dizzy, can you get me a notepad and markers?"

"Sure thing." Dizzy replied, and she soon appeared next to Evie with a notepad and markers.

"Alright, so which girls do we know that are single, and more importantly, suitable for Archer?" Evie began.

All the people in the room sat down on either of the beds or one of the chairs and started thinking.

"Anxelin is single." Carlos offered.

"Aden would get a stroke if we would even mention that." Ben replied.

"Isn't Royce dating Ruby?" Jay asked.

"Yes, and believe me when I say that Aden has enough trouble with that as it is. Archer is his commanding officer though, I think that could get really awkward." Ben explained.

"Alright, so Anxelin is off the table." Evie stated as she marked the name off her notepad.

"He wouldn't happen to have developed any feelings towards Freddie this time?" Mal asked hesitantly.

"He said that he didn't. I do believe however that if our goal is to avoid drama, that we need to keep those two as far away from each other as possible." Ben told the rest, who all nodded in agreement.

"So, that leaves who?" Carlos asked generally.

"What about… Ally? She's single right? And a nice girl?" Evie then said.

Jay snapped his fingers. "Good! That's good!"

"Ally? Hmm?" Ben seemed to be thinking. "Well, she's definitely nice, I'll give you that. She's also not as self-centered as, well, some others."

*cough*-"Audrey!"-*cough*. Carlos exclaimed, causing somewhat of a tiresome glare from Ben.

Ben went on. "I think that could work. To my knowledge, they have never spent that much time together."

"So, Archer can't know if he likes her already or not." Mal pointed out.

"Exactly." Evie followed up. "But another important issue, would Ally like Archer?"

Ben, Carlos and Jay all scoffed.

"What?" Mal asked.

"Do you spend any time at all with the other Auradon girls?" Jay asked both Mal and Evie.

"Aside from Lonnie, Jane and Jordan, not really." Mal shrugged.

"Even though, it's still a surprise that you haven't heard them talk about Archer yet." Carlos said.

"Is it that bad?" Mal asked.

"You have no idea." Ben answered as he put his arm around her. "I sat with Audrey and her friends once, and all they could talk about was Archer. How they could get his attention, how gorgeous the color of his eyes was etcetera."

"He does have beautiful eyes." Evie gushed.

"Don't let Doug hear you." Carlos grinned.

"You don't have to tell me." Evie replied.

Mal interjected. "So, okay. Maybe all the other girls think about him that way, but Ally?"

"If they were to spend any amount of time together, then I'm sure she would. You know Archer, he's a great guy." Ben said.

Both Mal and Evie nodded their heads in agreement.

"And you know Ally, she's adventurous and far too curious, she'll link up great with Archer." Ben went on.

"Archer and Ally." Jay said. "Almost sounds like a bad TV-sitcom."

"That's something we'll worry about later." Ben replied somewhat agitated.

"So, we'll try to set him up with Ally?" Evie squealed.

"Yes." Ben said to the point. "But we'll need somewhat of a plan. I know for a fact that Archer won't say yes to a blind-date."

"It's a scheme then?" Carlos exclaimed as he raised his finger.

"It's most definitely a scheme." Ben grinned.

Evie immediately jumped up. "Okay, here's what we'll do. We get Archer and Ally in the same room together, somehow, and then we lock the doors."

The whole gang just stared at her for a second before Mal answered.

"Do we really want to do that? I mean, that's what they do in pretty much every TV-show." She explained.

"Why would it be a bad plan if they keep doing it?" Evie replied.

"She has a point." Jay added.

"Alright, say we pull this off, then what? Do we just hope that a spark will fly over?" Mal asked skeptically.

"We can help the situation a bit." Evie said with a wicked grin. "You know, place some candles etcetera."

"Are we really gonna expect this to work?" Carlos then asked.

"If it doesn't, what's the harm?" Evie explained.

Carlos shrugged, but nodded eventually.

"The main goal here is to simply let Archer know that there are still plenty of girls out there." Ben then said. "Just so he doesn't get desperate."

"Let's get to work then!" Evie said as she clapped her hands. "A couple of us need to find a suitable location while the others think about how to approach Ally and Archer."

Mal noticed that Carlos elbowed Jay in his side.

"Ehm, Mal! Why don't we go look for a suitable location?" Jay then proposed.

"Ehm, sure." Mal slowly replied.

"Just come back when you find something, and we'll have a plan by then, alright?" Ben said.

"Okay." Mal replied before briefly kissing Ben on the lips. She waved to the others before leaving the room with Jay.

Right after the door closed, Carlos fell back in his chair with a large sigh.

"Really, Evie? You couldn't not mention a wedding for five minutes?" He exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, it just slipped out." Evie replied as she put her hands on her head.

"What happened?" Ben then asked. "Your text wasn't very clear, Carlos."

"We were having a normal conversation, until Evie just blurts out that she looks forward to your and Mal's wedding!" Carlos ranted.

"Evie!?" Ben exclaimed.

"It was an accident!" Evie responded. "I'm sorry, Ben. I'm just so excited for all this."

"Me too, but we have to keep this a secret!" Ben urged.

"I know that, and it won't happen again." Evie reassured him.

"Alright, good. So, what now?" Ben continued.

"Were you serious about that Archer-stuff?" Carlos asked.

"Yeah, and it was also the first thing that came into mind when you asked for a diversion. What he said about CJ Hook was true, and I would actually love it if he would get a girlfriend, he deserves it." Ben went on.

"Then let's make a plan, shall we? So, how do we get them together?" Evie began.

* * *

"Well, that was a total misfire." Mal said to no one in particular as she stared at the door of the kitchen, which had been blown off its hinges.

Ben, Evie and her then looked on as Archer stepped through the now empty doorway, Excalibur in hand and an extremely unpleasant look on his face. Ally followed him out, a somewhat shocked expression on hers.

Archer then saw the three of them standing further along the hallway and sighed deeply.

"Sorry for all of this." He then said to Ally.

"It's okay." She replied a bit shakily as she brushed some dust off her sleeves.

"I have something to discuss with my friends over there." Archer continued as he pointed at Mal, Ben and Evie. "I will see you later, okay?"

"Sure." Ally responded with a confused glance at the others before turning the opposite direction and scurrying off.

"You!" Archer shouted as he pointed at the three of them.

"Hey Archer!" Mal yelled back enthusiastically. "How's the leg?"

Archer approached them and halted only a few feet in front of them. "It's still a bit stiff, thank you for asking." He answered brusquely.

"So… How did things go in there?" Evie asked.

Archer gave her an annoyed stare before focusing on Ben. "This is quite low, I'd honestly say that I expected more from you."

"What do you mean, Archer?" Ben asked, failing epically to sound nonchalant.

"You know damn well what I mean!" Archer yelled. "Locking us in there, hoping that we'll somehow fall in love. Is that it?"

"Spot on." Mal answered, failing to remove an amused smile from her face.

"God, do you have any respect for me at all?" Archer continued.

"Of course, we do! What do you mean by that?" Ben responded, sounding rather hurt by Archer's comment.

"Really? Because this little stunt you just pulled proves the opposite of that!" Archer spat.

"We just wanted to help you, Archer." Evie said softly.

"I do not need your help finding someone!" Archer yelled. "And I most definitely don't need all of you tinkering in my love life without having asked for it! Why did you even want to do this?"

"Because Ben told us what you said about CJ Hook." Mal answered bluntly. "We just wanted to change your mind a little bit."

Archer stared at her perplexed, and then at Ben. "You told them about that? Wow, Ben! Did you also tell them how I said that I was not romantically interested in her? That I know that she is our enemy? That I know damn well she's a nutcase who stabbed me in the leg!?"

"I mentioned it." Ben mumbled.

"And you didn't stop to think about how all of this might be unnecessary!?" Archer continued.

"Carlos was doubtful." Evie softly replied.

"Oh, so he was in on it too? I'm guessing Jay has been brought up to speed as well?" Archer sarcastically asked.

Mal nodded, alongside Ben and Evie.

"So, is there anyone in the school who hasn't found out about my supposedly dreadful romantic interests?" Archer went on.

"Come on, Archer! Don't act like we did all this simply to have a laugh at you." Ben complained.

Archer scoffed. "It really feels like you did. Furthermore, this entire scheme seems horribly out of place given that we're currently in a state of war!"

"The villains aren't doing anything at the moment. We have constant surveillance on them. Are we supposed to completely forsake our normal lives until they finally take action?" Ben retorted.

"Of course not! But I still believe that you should not try to make decisions for me, and also try to not invade my privacy like this!" Archer ranted on.

"Come on, Archer. It's not like anyone got hurt." Mal said a bit doubtful.

"I can't believe you guys!" Archer went on. "All this plotting to interfere with other people's lives!? That seems more like something a villain would do."

Evie gasped and Mal straightened up.

"You're going too far, Archer!" Ben said in an icy tone.

Archer stared at Ben, and then back at the girls. He finally seemed to calm down. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. It's just, I may have gotten a bit carried away…"

"It's okay." Mal said before any of the others could respond. "What we did was stupid, we should have never gone behind your back."

Archer nodded. "Thanks. Look, I hate holding grudges, so can you just promise me that something like this won't happen again?"

"Of course." Mal and Ben replied in unison.

"We just wanted to make you happy, it's just that scheming is in our blood." Evie added.

The corners of Archer's mouth twitched. "I get that, but can you also trust me to find my own happiness? If I want your help, I'll drop by."

"We'll hold you to that." Ben grinned.

"We can help you make a scheme if you do find someone suitable?" Mal offered.

Archer grinned again. "If I see the need for it." He replied while leaning on Excalibur.

Mal then noticed something. "Archer?" She asked.

"Hmm?" Archer replied.

"Where did you get Excalibur? You didn't have it when you entered the kitchen." Mal inquired.

Archer looked at the sword in his hand. "Oh, haha. Yeah, I can summon the sword whenever I want. Basically, conjure it up out of thin air, you know."

"What!? Really?" Mal asked, perplexed.

"Yep. Look." Archer replied as he held Excalibur at arm's length before turning to his right and sheathing the blade into an imaginary scabbard.

To Mal's astonishment, she saw the blade disappear, as if the air itself had swallowed it.

"Woah, what the hell?" Mal exclaimed as she looked around, as if the blade would turn out to just be standing against the wall.

"And…" Archer began again, sounding like a showman, before raising his hand, clasping an invisible hilt and pulling Excalibur out of nothing. "Voila!"

"Impressive." Mal complemented.

"I know." Archer replied cockily. "I also do children's parties."

* * *

 **A big thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with the story so far.**

 **As always, please leave a review if you feel like it, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions if anything is unclear, I always respond.**


	8. Chapter 8: Uncertainty

**Here you go, another chapter!**

 **I have been quite busy recently, so there might be a slight decrease in the number of chapters I manage to upload, but I will definitely continue.**

 **A big thank you to everyone that has been keeping up with the story thus far.**

 **As always, please leave a review if you feel like it, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 8: Uncertainty

Solomon had led the crew to the place they would call headquarters while they were in Auradon. Even CJ had to admit that the ruined watch tower would make an excellent base of operations. Its walls were covered in a thick layer of vines and ivy, making it nearly impossible to distinguish from a distance. On the inside, it was surprisingly roomy, meaning that everyone in the crew had a sufficient place to sleep.

One of the walls that previously separated a room from the rest of the tower still stood and Solomon had naturally claimed it as his own, not that anybody disputed him on that.

Zevon and Maddy slept next to each other right in front of Solomon's room. Uma, Harry and Gil were huddled together in one corner, and Anthony, Clay and the other two pirates in the other.

In the final corner of the room stood a makeshift table, this was the place where the crew would have their daily discussion on what to do for the day and the following days.

CJ was the only one who didn't sleep downstairs, instead opting to sleep on the roof of the ruined tower. This meant that she had no roof over her head, but since Auradon appeared to not have either cold or rainy nights, this didn't bother her.

This also meant that, while the others were loudly arguing downstairs over things that couldn't interest her in the slightest, she would be gazing at the stars.

This had become a routine for CJ. On the first night she spent at the top of the tower, she had tried to count the stars, which had always been blurred on the isle, and had fallen asleep doing so. On the second night she had simply stared at them, and it had amazed her when she found out that the longer she stared, the more stars would appear.

During the days, CJ would spend most of her time looking at Auradon from her position on top of the tower. She could not get enough of the colors of the trees and the flowers surrounding them. Multiple birds had flown up to her and had happily pecked at the seeds she would sprinkle in front of them.

When Solomon or Uma would call her down for a meeting, she would as usual stay on one of the rood beams and simply look on while the others bickered. This was one of those moments.

"I don't see why we shouldn't just do it now! I mean, we're here! We can do it! So, why won't we?" Clay Clayton loudly declared to the rest of the crew.

"First of all, because you don't make the decisions around here! When it comes to the cauldron, me and Uma make the final call!" Solomon retorted.

Clay stood up, now standing nose-to-nose with Solomon. "Every second we spend cooked up here, is another second we give the enemy to prepare! We can attack now and overrun them before they even know what's happening!"

"You do also realize that every second we spend 'cooked up' here is another second for us and our allies to prepare? This is exactly how previous villains failed in their conquest! You all just run into battle without a sufficient plan and then dare to act surprised when it all comes crashing down." Solomon spat back.

Clay's face turned red. "This is just like the last time with the invasion! Harriet said from the start that we should have attacked fast and not delayed our plans! But did you listen? No! You went ahead with your own stupid plan and now the Auradonians found out about what we are doing!"

"But as you can see, we are here. We are in Auradon. As much as the 'heroes' might have believed that they have foiled our plans, we are still on track." Solomon replied calmly.

"So, why not attack them now? While they're unprepared?" Anthony joined Clay.

"Because we want to have a little fun with them first." Uma interjected, as she walked up next to Solomon. "We want to make them bleed!"

Anthony pointed at Uma. "Isn't this the exact cockiness our good friend Solomon just warned us against?"

"Come again?" Solomon asked.

"You have this entire rant about us villains not taking things seriously and not planning ahead, but are you saying that you support Uma's idea of teasing our enemies a little?" Anthony retorted.

"Not in those exact terms." Solomon answered. "I agree with Uma that we should tease our adversaries a little, but we will do so anything but unprepared."

"Why? What could be the possible reasoning behind this nonsense?" Clay replied.

"Reasoning that apparently goes right over your head." Uma teased.

Clay reached for the shotgun on his back, but Anthony grabbed his arm and prevented him from doing so. "So, would you be so kind to inform us of this?"

Solomon walked over to the makeshift map of Auradon, which hung on the wall of the ruined watch tower they now called headquarters.

"Look here." Solomon explained. "The largest amount of Auradon's forces are gathered here, around Auradon Bay, keeping watch on the isle."

"We know that." Clay spat.

"You let him finish!" Maddy retorted.

Solomon sighed, before continuing. "To give us the best chance of victory, we will need Harriet and the rest of the army to make the cross, this will be easiest to accomplish without a horde of Auradon soldiers standing in the way. You do realize that, right?"

Anthony and Clay both begrudgingly nodded.

"We will soon make our presence known to the Auradonians. We will do so by attacking several small villages near Auradon City." Solomon went on as he pointed at several spots on the map. "This will serve us two purposes. First, king baby-beast will have no other option than to call most of his troops inland to help capture us, which will take some attention away from the isle. Second, by raiding these villages, we will force a large number of people to flee for Auradon City."

"How will that help us? What use is it to us if people flee for Auradon City?" Clay asked.

"It will be integral for the latter part of our plan." Solomon clarified.

"How, exactly?" Anthony followed up.

"That is something I will tell later. For now, I don't think it will be wise to reveal the entire plan yet, just in case any of you get captured." Solomon told the crew.

"And what if you get captured?" Harry Hook said from the shadows. "What do we do then?"

Solomon grinned as he stared at Harry. "If they capture me, which I highly doubt, I will escape. The Auradonians have no force strong enough to keep me in check."

CJ smirked from her position above the rest, which caused Solomon to throw an extremely unpleasant glance at her.

"Anything you would like to add, CJ?" He asked particularly unenthusiastic.

"Nothing, just admiring your distinct lack of humility, your excellence." CJ replied in a sarcastic tone.

Both Zevon and Maddy stared at her with fury, but CJ saw how Harry had to suppress a smile.

Solomon appeared relatively calm, until he suddenly raised his arm and threw a small ball of fire towards her.

CJ looked on in horror as the ball of fire grazed her and the corner of her coat was caught aflame. She let herself fall of the roof beam, landed exceptionally unpleasantly on the ground, and did her best to stomp out the fire on her coat.

Abruptly, she was doused with a large amount of water, drenching her from head to toe.

CJ looked up and saw Uma smiling down at her, her necklace glowing.

"It looked like you needed help." Uma said with a wicked smile.

Everyone else in the room shattered with laughter, safe from Solomon and Harry. The first had not paid any attention to her after throwing his fireball, and the latter looked at her in an uncertain way.

CJ hastily picked herself up, doing her best to keep the tears of anger and embarrassment out of her eyes. "Asshole." She mumbled at Solomon.

"It would be in your best interest to keep your snarky comments to yourself from now on." Solomon disinterestedly told her without even so much as a glance in her direction.

Feeling no need to reply, CJ turned around and stormed up the winding stairs to the roof of the tower. She slammed the door behind her, after which she was sure a few of the already loose bricks in the walls fell out.

CJ walked over to the side of the roof where she had made her little nest of blankets and pillows. She saw a small bird that was rooting for food inside her bag.

"Go away!" She yelled, and the bird made a loud, chirping sound and flew off.

CJ plopped down on her makeshift bed and buried her head in her knees. Never, never had she felt this alone, not even after Freddie had left her on the isle. Despite herself, she felt the tears start to well up and the first sobs escaping her mouth.

What should she have expected? All of the people she had joined up with hated her, and that hatred seemed to only have increased after their arrival in Auradon.

CJ had never expected Uma to show any signs of forgiveness towards her, she wasn't capable of that. CJ similarly felt no need to make things better between them.

Harry had apparently given up on trying to connect with her, something she felt very conflicted about. On the one hand, she was glad that he stopped trying to be in her life, since all he would undoubtedly do was disappoint her. On the other hand, Harry was pretty much the only person in the crew she could somehow fall back on.

She felt no particular animosity towards Gil, who was too stupid to even make up his own mind and only did what Uma and Harry told him to.

Her patience had most definitely run out with Solomon. After all the threatening, lying and violence he had put her through, she had long been ready to call it a day. She would have bluntly refused to join the journey to Auradon, if not for the fact that she would have then been left on the isle with only Harriet as company. As much as CJ hated Solomon, Harriet still took the crown for most despicable person she knew.

Both Zevon and Maddy were fiercely loyal to Solomon, far too much for them to have anything resembling pity towards her.

Anthony and Clay were both lackeys of Harriet and it thus came as no surprise that they treated her with little regard to her wellbeing.

CJ had not clashed with the two pirates Harriet had sent along before, but it was now obvious that she did not have to count on them for any sympathy points. Especially after one of them had been far from secretive about his intentions with her, and CJ had unkindly but appropriately responded.

So now she was here, in Auradon, a place she did not know at all, with all these people she could not stand, and she had nowhere else to go.

Out of anger, she kicked out at the loose rocks on the edge of the tower's roof, and again, and again. She kicked them harder each time, and each time she screamed louder. In the end, she managed to loosen the rocks on the top enough that they tumbled down the side.

"Will you cut that crap out!" A voice suddenly yelled from behind her after she also heard the door bang open.

CJ did not look back, she recognized the voice of Harry.

"They might not have heard you over at Auradon City if we're lucky." Harry continued as he stared across the vast landscape of Auradon.

CJ did not answer, instead sulkily keeping her gaze straightforward.

"You should know that both Solomon and Uma wanted to go up here by themselves, to shut you up." Harry followed up. "I told them that I'd get you to quiet down, so you should."

"Just to make life easier for you, is that it?" CJ replied, her voice slightly muffled.

"No, to make sure that you don't get beaten half to death." Harry coolly retorted.

"I wouldn't let them." CJ replied, softly stroking the hilt of her sword.

"Goddammit CJ! Do you even hear yourself talk!?" Harry suddenly yelled at her, making CJ jump slightly in surprise. "You are here, saying that you'll take on both Uma and Solomon on your own! That will be the death of you!"

"You don't know what I can do!" CJ rebelliously replied.

Harry moved closer to her. "I know perfectly well what you can do, and I know that you're more than a match for most people, but not these, sis. Have you seen what they can do here in Auradon? All I'm asking is that you don't try to have yourself killed."

"Why am I even having this conversation with you again?" CJ spat back, looking Harry in the eyes for the first time. "I believe I have made it clear that you should stay away from me!"

"You have." Harry replied calmly. "And Uma has urged me as well to distance myself from you."

"You should listen to your girlfriend!" CJ retorted.

"I do. Did you see me intervene at what just happened?" Harry asked.

"No, not that I wanted you to." CJ answered.

"Don't play games, CJ. I know you're unhappy. I can see the tears in your eyes." Harry told her.

CJ angrily wiped the leftover tears from her face before looking at her brother again. "Surrounded by people I hate, all alone in a land I have never been to? Oh boy, I wonder how I could ever be unhappy!?"

"You're not alone." Harry said softly.

"Will you ever stop!?" CJ shrieked.

"NO! You are my sister! Whether you like it or not!" Harry yelled back.

"So? Just because you're my brother doesn't mean I want you in my life! I have made this clear to you!" CJ retorted.

"You know what!?" Harry said with a raised finger. "Maybe Uma is right, maybe you deserve to be unhappy if you keep pushing away the only people who care for you. You pushed Freddie away, and then me!"

CJ rolled her eyes. "Please, you know damn well that Shrimpy put these thoughts in your head, so you would stop caring for me."

Harry raised his hook. "Don't insult Uma!"

"Who? You mean Shrimpy?" CJ teased.

It really seemed like Harry was gonna blow, but his look softened after a few seconds. "All I'm asking is that you try to make things as good as possible for yourself around here, preferably without standing in our way."

CJ scoffed. "And what would you have me do, Harry? Try to mingle with the people downstairs, all of whom would rather see me dead than alive?"

Harry paled a bit at this. "I already made clear to you that I won't let them kill you."

"But you're perfectly fine with that snake nearly burning me and your girlfriend almost drowning me?" CJ retorted.

"You know damn well it would have never come to that." Harry said.

"So, I should just accept being the group's punching bag then? What if those two brutes decide they would rather see me without clothes again one night?" CJ then asked.

Harry angrily slashed at the tower's wall with his hook. "I would hook 'em, no matter what."

"Oh, how noble of you." CJ sarcastically replied.

"There really is no pleasing you, is there?" Harry snapped back.

"With whatever stupid ass council you give? No! No, with that there's no pleasing me." CJ countered.

That apparently made the kettle boil over in Harry, since he turned around and marched back to the roof's door. "Good luck being miserable then!" He spat, before slamming the door behind him.

CJ sat back against the wall, her thoughts again boiling with anger. Had Harry actually hoped to somehow make her feel better with everything he said? All the constant bickering over how he had always wanted to help her, please! CJ knew better than that. The one time she had actually trusted Harry to come to her aid, he had again abandoned her when push came to shove.

CJ felt a lump in her throat when she thought back to the moment when she tried to protect Freddie from Solomon, only to have Harry side with that snake. If the risk would be to have to feel the pain of that kind of betrayal again, then she would never let Harry in.

With another flash of anger, CJ thought back on what Harry had said about Freddie. He had said that CJ had pushed her away. What nonsense was that!? Freddie had left her when she left for Auradon! Freddie had been the one who had done the abandoning, not her. Out of habit more than anything else, CJ again kicked at the wall of the tower.

What was Freddie doing right now, CJ wondered to herself. Everything that had happened to her after she had been transported off the isle was a complete mystery to CJ, but she could only imagine that it would not have been pretty. When Freddie had visited her in her own room, she had enthusiastically told CJ of the magical powers she possessed in Auradon, but this was now something Solomon had taken away from her. How had Freddie taken this? Would she be alright?

All this worrying somehow calmed CJ, as if it was reassuring that, even in her predicament, she was still able to care for someone else.

She knew to herself that, if it had to be anyone, Freddie was still the person she cared about most, even though she had abandoned her.

In their younger years, Freddie had been the only one to reach out to her after the large falling out between Mal, Uma, Solomon and herself. For a large part of her adolescence, Freddie had thus been pretty much the only light in her world of darkness.

However, that wasn't completely true. Back then, she had occasionally been able to count on Harry. They had often formed a feared brother-sister duo, mainly created to torment their older sister, who had always hated CJ.

But now she was snapped back to reality. A reality where there was no Freddie, no Harry, no people she could count on. No people she could call friends. No people who cared for her.

When she came to think of it, she could hardly remember the last time anyone had done anything nice to her.

Harry's attempts at making up were mainly to boost his own ego and trump his guilt for leaving her. Furthermore, CJ had rejected all his pleas.

Solomon had helped her when she had been shot up by Clay, but he only did so for his own selfish reasons. Had CJ not been friends with Freddie, he would have gladly let her bleed to death.

There had for a long while now not been anyone on the isle who had tried to help her. Every time she had grown hungry or needed shelter and decided to beg, people had not been secretive about gladly not giving her anything. The worst thing was that CJ could hardly blame them, since she had seldom behaved properly herself.

Then, to her astonishment, her thoughts went back to another day. The day Mal was rescued from the isle by a group of Auradonian soldiers. CJ had seen a few of them from a distance but could only recall the face of the swordsman she had fought.

CJ remembered how the two of them had been fighting for several minutes, while she herself knew that he was extremely pressed for time. This was the major reason why she had continued to stall him by fighting him with a dagger alone.

CJ had always taken pride in the fact she was considered as one of the best swordfighters on the isle. In her teens, she had really only always had Jay, the son of Jafar, in front of her in the pecking order. But most times when she'd had to fight, be it against her brother, sister, Solomon, Uma or Mal, she had mostly come out on top.

This only made her sound defeat at the hands of this swordsman the more infuriating. Zevon had said that he was called Archer, son of some king Arthur, and that he wielded some kind of powerful magical sword, Escabilur or something. CJ had been glad to find out that the person she had lost to was apparently some kind of mythically powerful warrior, and not some basic Auradon soldier.

Even with the cut she had delivered to his head, he had managed to disarm her and trap her. That was one of the only moments that CJ had feared for her life, when she had felt the cold steel against her throat.

To her astonishment however, he had let her go. He had told her to go away, to leave. He had not hurt her, even though they had been fighting.

Having been raised on the isle, this was extremely strange behavior for CJ. On the isle, people would hurt each other even if they weren't in a fight. Back there, it was just considered fun or a daily routine. Yet this Auradon boy, who she had never met in her life, had refused to hurt her even though they stood on opposite sides in a battle.

It had only been after she had put her dagger in his leg that he had hit her on the head and thrown her off the roof.

Then CJ felt something extremely strange to her, guilt. She felt guilty about having stabbed that Auradon guy in the leg. Even though they had been fighting, he had let her go without so much as a scratch. She had then repaid him by stabbing him in the leg, CJ now had to admit to herself that was kind of a dick move.

She then remembered how he had complemented her. He had called her fast, and a good swordsman. Were all people in Auradon so damn polite? Were all people so damn nice as this Archer?

If they were, then this plan of them would get troublesome. Because, even though CJ was a villain, she did not particularly like to hurt people who did not deserve it.

He had spared her life. Something unthinkable for anyone who has been raised on the isle. CJ recalled how he had eventually bested her, not that hard of a task given that she was only armed with a dagger, and had held his blade to her throat. She recalled how she had been unable to move her body, seeing as how the guy kept her completely immobile. He had looked down on her, and she had stared right into his eyes.

He had such blue eyes, CJ remembered. Amazingly blue. She could have sworn that they had started glowing during their fight, and that was when CJ had really had a rough time.

Was that some kind of magic that he had used? CJ wouldn't know, she wouldn't be able to distinguish magic from a tree frog, but it did seem like it.

CJ also had to admit, to her shame, that this Archer guy was very attractive. Those incredibly blue eyes paired with his jet-black hair and wide grin were easily enough to convince CJ of this.

CJ had never dated on the isle. In her youth, any boy that would merely look at her too long would undoubtedly get beaten up by Harry. By the time she had to fend for herself, no other guys wanted to be involved with her, in fear of suffering the wrath of either Uma, Mal, Solomon or Harriet. CJ did not really mind this though, most of the guys on the isle were dumb, mean, filthy, unpleasant, egotistical and unattractive.

As she grew up, CJ had seen several others pair up on the isle. Uma and Harry had had their odd type of relationship for as long as CJ could remember. She didn't know however if any of the two had ever made things official.

Solomon and Ginny had sometimes been a rather strange couple. CJ always thought it was more like Ginny pouring all her affection on Solomon, and him simply deciding whether to stomach it for a certain period or not.

CJ had also always been bugged by other girls, who were all fawning over how gorgeous they thought Harry was in front of her. Some of them had even had the nerve to ask her to introduce them to Harry, which CJ had naturally always refused.

Harry had, to CJ's own admission, always been one of the better-looking guys on the isle, alongside maybe Jay and Anthony Tremaine.

CJ herself had also always been counted as one of the prettiest girls on the isle, or so she had always heard from others. Others, like Uma, Evie and of course Mal had always gotten most of the attention though, not largely because CJ had been shunned by all of the large gangs.

"Maybe I could find someone else in Auradon?" CJ thought to herself. "Someone I actually like, and who actually cares for me? Someone who doesn't feel the need to strangle, burn or drown me like all the other people in my life right now. Someone like this Archer…"

CJ shot up straight as the pushed all these thoughts aside. What was she thinking!? She wanted to start a romance under all these circumstances!? She was in the middle of a war and she was part of the attacking side! How could she even think of getting all lovey-dovey with someone? She had long learned that in war, there is no place for love.

And even if she would manage to live through all the fighting, it's not like someone like him would ever fall for someone like her. No way.


	9. Chapter 9: Proposal

**A new chapter in honor of the Descendants 3 teaser (it's out and it's awesome by the way, go see it)**

 **Around this time we'll get to speculate what will actually happen in Descendants 3!**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story thus far!**

 **Please leave a review if you feel like it, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always reply.**

* * *

Chapter 9: Proposal

"A bit late for a lunch date, isn't it?" Mal asked Ben as she stepped on the back of his scooter and donned her helmet.

"Actually, it's not really a lunch date. It's more like a… late afternoon-type gettogether." Ben replied as he got on himself and handed her a large picnic basket.

"And why do we have this special late afternoon-type gettogether?" Mal asked with a smile.

"Mainly to celebrate your first day without your brace, but also because I simply enjoy preparing romantic getaways for the two of us." Ben grinned.

Mal sighed.

"What's wrong?" Ben asked.

"Damn you, Ben. You are always the one planning these dates and giving me presents. I have the feeling that I should also put some effort into our relationship, do some more for you." Mal voiced her complains.

It was true that this had bothered her for a while, especially after her visit to the isle. Ben had rarely left her side during her time recovering, having even moved some of his kingly duties simply spend time with her. Mal knew of course that Ben neither wanted nor expected anything in return, but she couldn't help but feel indebted to him, and she hated to feel indebted.

Ben looked at her with a knowing smile. "You just being you and being with me is all I could ever want from you."

Mal blushed. Ben had always been the one to say things that would make her blush. "But I want to give you more! Let me buy you things, let me spoil you for once!"

Ben laughed. "I promise that you'll get that chance later. But again, you simply spending time with me is spoiling me."

"You infuriate me with your niceness." Mal complained.

"Are you saying that you would like it if I was less nice?" Ben retorted.

"Of course not, I love you just the way you are." Mal replied.

"And you are perfect just the way you are." Ben told her as he leaned in for a kiss, which Mal happily gave in to.

"We do have to leave though, or else we might as well call our date a dinner date." Mal said once she leaned back.

"As you wish." Ben replied, and he fired up his scooter and started driving away.

Mal soon realized where they were headed once they left the outskirts of Auradon City and started heading further into deeper forests.

"You're taking me to the enchanted lake again?" Mal asked over the rumbling sound of the scooter.

Ben laughed. "I knew you'd realize it sooner or later."

"So, what's the occasion? You've only taken me there on special dates. Crap, did I forget another anniversary?" Mal asked.

"No, you're good. It's just- I don't know. I guess I felt extra romantic today." Ben replied.

"Extra romantic, you say? So, have you brought along anything 'extra romantic' in this picnic basket?" Mal questioned with a look at the large basket on her lap.

"You'll find out soon enough." Ben answered, trying to sound mysteriously.

Mal grinned. "It's getting harder and harder to imagine a world without you constantly trying to surprise me."

"But you know that I love surprising people. And you are my favorite person." Ben replied.

"How sweet of you." Mal said in a mocking tone.

"Have you not also grown to like my surprises?" Ben continued.

"Some, maybe. You better not have another orphanage stashed away, though." Mal replied.

Ben laughed and started speeding up a bit more as they drove through the forest roads. It took about ten more minutes before Ben parked his scooter near the long bridge which was stretched over a wild river.

Both of them removed their helmets and Ben offered Mal his arm as he helped her get off as well.

"Hmm, this does feel heavier than usual." Mal told Ben as she weighed the picnic basket in her arms.

"I may have put some extra things in there, you know, for extra fun." Ben teased.

"You didn't forget the strawberries, right?" Mal asked.

A shocked expression appeared on Ben's face, and Mal looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Did you forget the strawberries!?" She asked perplexed.

Ben kept up his shocked expression for about one more second, before bursting out in laughter.

"Haha, of course not. Who do you think I am?" He laughed.

"Don't mess with me like that!" Mal replied, failing to sound angry.

Ben placed his hand on the picnic basket. "Trust me when I say that this basket is filled with enough strawberries to satisfy even you."

Mal raised an eyebrow. "That's a lot of strawberries."

"I put a lot in there." Ben shrugged.

Instead of replying, Mal simply grabbed Ben's hand and walked ahead of him as they crossed the bridge.

When they reached the middle of the bridge, Ben suddenly halted, forcing Mal to stop as well.

"Something wrong?" Mal asked as she joined her boyfriend.

"Not at all." Ben replied, slightly dreamily, as he stared at the beautiful Auradon landscape in front of them.

"What's up? Come on, spill it." Mal said as she leaned into him.

Ben put an arm around Mal's shoulders and held her tightly to him. "Do you remember the first time I took you here?"

"Of course, when you were still spelled out of your mind." Mal replied, feeling a slight peck of guilt.

"And yet I still remember every detail, and I regret nothing of what I've done." Ben told her slowly and softly.

Mal looked back at Ben's face and kissed him softly on the cheek. "I do regret spelling you, but is it wrong if I'm still happy about the outcome?"

Ben smiled. "I wouldn't wanna have it any other way."

Mal looked back at the landscape, as several small birds flew right past their head.

"This is where we first told each other our middle names, do you remember that?" Mal suddenly remembered.

Ben grinned. "Naturally, Mal Bertha."

Mal scoffed, but still could not suppress a smile. "And you, Benjamin Florian, promised that you would never tease me with that name."

Ben shrugged. "Maybe some of your wickedness has rubbed off on me?"

"Please, we all saw what happened when you tried to act evil." Mal teased.

Ben pulled up his eyebrows. "Hey, I did alright. I did the dance and everything eventually."

Mal started laughing. "You looked like a lost puppy."

Ben let her go and walked a little further down the bridge. "I take offence from that. I can act bad if I want to."

"Show me." Mal dared with a grin.

"Alright, here we go!" Ben stated as he took up starting position before dancing down the bridge while mouthing the lyrics to _Chillin' like a villain_.

Mal started laughing initially as she watched Ben's crazy antics but had to admit that he didn't do that bad of a job. She followed him down the bridge, and eventually caught up with him at the end, just as he danced the final steps.

" _Chillin' like… A villain!_ " Ben concluded as he stepped off the bridge in front of Mal. "What about that?"

"It was acceptable, so here's your prize." Mal replied as she pushed the basket into his arms. "Handle with care." She teased as she placed a small peck on his nose.

Ben smiled back as he carried the basket with one arm, and put the other around Mal. Together, they headed down the path until Mal first caught sight of the beautiful enchanted lake again.

"This place just ever stops amazing me." She dreamily said when they clear, blue water and the stone pillars.

"It would look even more beautiful with you in the picture." Ben replied.

Mal rolled her eyes, but did give Ben's hand a small squeeze of affection. "Let's head down."

They climbed down the relatively steep path towards the foundation with the stone pillars, where Ben quickly pulled a blanket out of the basket for them to sit on.

"So, what now? Do we eat?" Mal asked after stretching herself out over the blanket.

"Actually, I thought that we may go for a swim first. It would be better to do that before eating." Ben offered.

Mal gave a short laugh. "You should have told me you were planning on swimming, I would have packed my bathing suit."

"Guess again." Ben said as he reached into the picnic basket and pulled out both his swimming trunks and Mal's purple bikini.

"What more do you have in there?" Mal asked perplexed as she caught the bikini that Ben threw at her.

"Whatever you can dream of." Ben replied with a smile, as he pulled off his jacket.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Mal asked.

"Any chance to see you in a bikini." Ben grinned.

Mal blushed and punched Ben in the leg, which was the highest point she could reach from her position on the ground.

Mal watched at first as Ben undressed in front of her, openly admiring his muscles. "Still got the little crowns I see." She then said pointing at his swimming trunks.

Ben looked down and then back at her again with a smile. "Never goes out of style."

"I have many doubts about your fashion sense." Mal joked.

"I'll have Evie design me a new pair if you want to so badly." Ben grinned as he sat down next to her.

"Don't, the shorts might not be 'haute couture' or whatever but you look cute in them." Mal complemented.

"Don't I look cute in anything though?" Ben sarcastically asked as he got closer to her.

"Definitely." Mal replied and she met Ben in the middle for a kiss.

"Now, change into your bathing suit so we can go for a swim." Ben said.

"Alright bossy." Mal replied as she stood up and pulled off her jacket.

"I am technically your king." Ben shrugged.

"Wouldn't that make me your queen? Which would then mean that I would technically be your boss?" Mal questioned as she removed her dress and put on her bikini.

Ben started blushing a bit and stuttered his next words. "W-well, ehm, you know. T-technically, maybe."

"What's wrong, Ben? Cat got your tongue?" Mal grinned.

Ben appeared to recover himself as he started smiling again. "Nothing, just that your beauty always astounds me."

"You've seen me in a bikini before." Mal stated as she gestured at her own body, now clad in a bikini.

"Still." Ben shrugged.

Mal looked down at her arms and stomach. Several thin, white lines on her already pale skin indicated where she had been wounded on her trip to the isle. The only one which was still clearly visible was the large cut on her left arm, where Harry Hook had torn into her with his hook.

Mal stroked said scar with one finger, looking at it with regret and anger.

"You're still beautiful." Ben said as he approached her and also put a hand on her arm. "Inside and out, scars and all."

Mal smiled as she looked up at him. "Thank you, for everything."

Ben put his arms around her in a tight hug. "And thank you, for being you."

Before her voice could get stuck in her throat, Mal slapped Ben on his butt and headed out into the water before him.

"Come on, let's find out if we have been spelled without us knowing." Mal enthusiastically said as she walked the first couple of meters into the water.

The water of the enchanted lake was as clear as ever and wasn't particularly cold to boot.

Ben smiled broadly at her before eagerly heading after her, diving into the lake with a large splash. When he came up again, he took Mal in his arms and kissed her on the lips.

"I don't feel any different." Ben said grinning.

"Me neither." Mal shrugged.

"Good." Ben said before grabbing her under her arms and tossing her into the water.

Mal shrieked before going under.

"Ben!" She yelled once she got up again.

"I had to make sure." Ben grinned as he approached her.

"Oh, you are so dead!" Mal said determined as she jumped him in an attempt to drag him down.

Ben at first managed to stay above water, simply laughing at Mal's attempts to drag him under, but Mal eventually managed to trip his leg, pulling them both down. This was followed by several minutes of the two simply romping about a bit. Now that Mal's injuries had finally healed, she gladly took the opportunity to get more physical with Ben, something they hadn't been able to do for quite a while. This went on for a short time until they eventually called it even and rested in each other's arms.

"This is a lot better than our first swim here." Ben said with a grin.

Mal gave a short laugh. "I dove in fully clothed trying to 'save' you."

"And that was really kind of you, even though it proved to be unnecessary." Ben replied.

"I couldn't swim back then, I could have died, you know." Mal retorted.

"Thank god that didn't happen." Ben replied in a more serious tone.

"But then it was your turn to save me and you gave me that fancy rock." Mal remembered.

Ben grinned. "Wow, I was a great gift giver even back then."

"That was the first moment, right? The first moment you realized that you loved me?" Mal asked.

Ben looked into her eyes. "When I think back on it, I believe I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you."

Mal softly punched him in the arm. "You big softie."

"What!? I'm telling the truth." Ben replied with a smile.

"Well, all that matters is that we love each other now." Mal said and she leaned forward to kiss Ben.

"What did you wish for, actually? When you threw the rock in the lake?" Ben asked.

Mal tried to remember. "I can't remember. I think I was a bit more focused on being soaking wet back then."

Ben smiled. "Yeah, it wasn't the best timing."

"Should we get out? I'm getting kind of hungry." Mal followed up.

"Sure, sure." Ben replied and the two swam to the edge of the foundation with the pillars.

Only once they sat down on the blanket did Mal realize that she actually felt quite cold.

"Ben, do you have a-" She began, but when she looked back she already saw Ben holding a large, purple towel. "How did you guess?" Mal asked as Ben threw the towel at her.

Ben shrugged. "Just a hunch." He replied as he also pulled a blue towel out of the basket.

"How much space is in that basket?" Mal asked.

"Just enough." Ben told her as he started grabbing food items from the basket. Mal watched as a Ben took out some sandwiches, a pitcher of lemonade and of course a large plate of strawberries.

"Well, this is amazing." Mal said as she picked a single strawberry of the plate and eagerly ate it.

"It better be, I put some effort into this date." Ben replied as he sat down next to her.

"What is so special about this date?" Mal asked.

Ben only smiled at first as he leaned back and chewed on a sandwich, simply gazing at the beautiful view of the enchanted lake. "Every date with you is special." He eventually said.

"Damn, you are so cheesy." Mal replied as she snuggled into Ben.

And that was how they spend their time until nightfall, with the two of them simply cuddled together near the enchanted lake. After finishing their food, they simply talked and talked for hours on end. They only talked about things that made them happy, for once the discussions on Solomon and the cauldron were abandoned and they simply exchanged storied about themselves and their friends.

By the time the sun disappeared on the horizon, Ben once again reached into his basket and conjured up several candles, which he lit around the place he and Mal were laying.

"Seriously though, what else is in that basket?" Mal asked as she leaned over to look inside.

Ben hastily snatched the basket away from her. "It's a surprise."

"Well, if they're all as nice as this one then I don't care." Mal said staring at the candles.

Ben lit the last candle and looked around, seemingly proud of his efforts. "Looks just as good as it did in my head."

"Great, now come lie down next to me." Mal requested.

Ben happily obliged and laid down next to Mal, who snuggled into him and placed her head in the crook of his neck. Together they looked up into the sky, the millions of stars staring back at them.

"This evening just keeps getting more perfect." Ben said.

"It truly does." Mal confessed. "Where's that star Peter Pan always talks about again?"

Ben pointed up. "You go there, then second star to the right and straight on till morning."

"Those are not really valid directions." Mal replied.

She felt Ben shrug beneath her. "Hey, if it works, it works."

"So, what do you have planned for dinner? It's already getting pretty late." Mal then asked.

"We'll eat back at school, I asked them to keep an extra meal for the two of us. It won't be a problem." Ben answered.

"How much longer did you plan on staying here?" Mal continued.

"Just a little more time. I have one final surprise for you." Ben mysteriously replied.

Mal turned her head to look into Ben's eyes. "This better be the last one. You've done enough already, trust me."

"It's the last one, I promise. Now, come. Stand up for a second." Ben said.

Mal grabbed the hand that Ben reached out to her, and together they moved towards the edge of the foundation. They now looked out over the water of the enchanted lake, the moon and the stars reflected in its clear surface. It was completely quiet, even the birds and crickets had temporarily stopped making sound.

"Ben, it's beautiful, but is this the surprise?" Mal asked somewhat confused.

"Just wait a second." Ben replied from behind her, his hand softly grabbing her by the shoulders.

Mal stared out over the water but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

All of the sudden, she saw one tiny speck of light emerge from the trees on the other side of the lake and fly up into the air. Mal first thought that it was a firefly, the way it rose up at first and then flew over the water towards her.

When the light came close enough, she saw that it was Tinkerbell, the fairy.

"Tinkerbell!?" Mal exclaimed in bewilderment. "What are you doing here?"

"I invited her." Ben said as he joined Mal at her side. "She has a special gift for you, and I believe she's not alone."

As Mal looked back at the lake, she saw several more fairies emerge from the trees. At first there was only a handful, then a dozen, but soon they emerged with hundreds, from all around her. Mal looked around her as fairies seemed to appear from every corner, their small, individual lights combining to make it seem as though she and Ben were walking amongst the stars.

"Oh my god, Ben. It's beautiful." Mal said.

"Hold on for one more second." Ben replied as he grabbed her hand and nodded at Tinkerbell.

Tinkerbell saluted, gave some high-pitched instructions to some of her fellow fairies and flew up.

Mal followed her with her eyes, and saw Tinkerbell get joined by about fifteen other fairies, who all flew above her and Ben.

"Ben, what are they-" was all Mal was able to say before the fairies started sprinkling their fairy dust over her and Ben.

Mal raised an arm at first, trying to take cover from the soft rain of golden dust, but Ben soon tenderly grabbed her arm and pulled it back down. She looked at him and saw him grinning widely as they both got covered in a soft layer of gold.

Ben then bent over a little to whisper something in her ear. "And now just think happy thoughts."

Mal softly chuckled at his words. She had obviously heard of the magical fairy dust which supposedly had the power to make anyone fly, but Mal had never really believed them.

To her astonishment, she felt her feet leave the ground as soon as she thought back on the first happy moment that came into mind, her first kiss with Ben at Cotillion. Mal looked down as she started floating upwards, Ben still firmly holding her hands.

"Ben! Ben! Oh my god, it's working!" She shrieked.

Ben laughed loudly and he too slowly floated upwards. "Shh, shh. Sweetie, just calm down a bit. Nothing bad will happen as long as you think happy thoughts."

"I am, I am thinking happy thoughts." Mal replied as she looked back into Ben's eyes. "When I'm with you I'm happy."

Ben waited a few seconds before he was at eye level with her again, the two of them now over six feet above ground. "I love you so much."

Instead of replying, Mal simply kissed him. This action appeared to have some effect as they rose up another few feet.

When they separated, Mal noticed that they were now flying straight over the enchanted lake, though they were several feet above it.

"Hold on." Ben softly said as he gave a small nod to Tinkerbell, who had been floating along with them.

Tinkerbell gave yet another signal to some of her fellow fairies, and about a dozen of them swarmed Ben and Mal, slowly directing them through the air.

"What are they doing, Ben?" Mal asked.

"Just helping us a bit, flying precisely can be quite tough on your first try." Ben replied.

The fairies stopped pushing them once Mal felt her feet hit the surface of the enchanted lake's water.

"Oh wow." Mal exclaimed as she carefully took a step. The power of the fairies' magical dust allowed both her and Ben to literally walk on water. She looked back at Ben, who held out his hand.

"Can I have this dance?" He asked with a grin.

"You can." Mal replied with a heartfelt smile.

She grabbed Ben's left hand with her right and put her left on his shoulder, while he put his right around her waist.

And so, they started waltzing on the surface of the lake. Around her, Mal saw the hundreds of fairies join them in their dance as their individual lights shone brightly around them. It all felt way too surreal for Mal, floating over the surface of a lake, with Ben, the love of her life, and all those beautiful lights hovering around them.

The two of them did not exchange any words during their dance, they didn't need to. Mal soon put her head in the crook of Ben's neck and simply put her arms around him. She felt his arms surround her as well and they simply continued to slowly glide over the lake.

Way too soon, for Mal's taste at least, the fairy dust started to wear off and the fairies directed her and Ben back to the foundation, where her feet finally touched solid ground again.

"That was magical." Mal said from the bottom of her heart. "Thank you so much, Ben."

Ben, meanwhile, had landed behind her, and did not respond to her comment.

"Ben?" Mal asked as she turned around.

She then saw Ben in front of her, on one knee, a golden ring sparkling inside a small box held out to her by his outstretched arms.

In that one second, Mal felt as though she lost control of all of her senses, instead feeling as if she had again been doused with fairy dust and was now floating outside her own body. "Is this really happening?" She wondered to herself.

Ben's mouth trembled slightly as he scraped his throat, his hazel-green eyes fixated on Mal.

"M-mal, I-I… I, ehm, this…" He began, but the words quickly left him.

Mal was similarly lost for words, still not really comprehending what was actually happening. "Ben is proposing to me!? Is Ben proposing to me!?" All these thoughts were whirling through her head like leaves caught in a tornado. Hours could have flown by without Mal having the slightest idea, at the moment, she was totally lost in her own world. While Ben finally seemed to gather himself, she had not moved an inch.

"Mal, I love you. So, so much." Ben began. "I believe we're ready, I really do. Mal, I don't want to wait another moment. I… want you, by my side, always. I want to share the rest of my life with you, and only you. You are my world, my everything. Mal, will you marry me?"

When the last word left Ben's lips, it was finally as if she awoke from a deep slumber. Her head snapped back to reality and she alternated her stare between the ring in Ben's hand and the hopeful look in his eyes.

"I…" Mal began. "I…"


	10. Chapter 10: Love

**To answer some questions asked in the reviews;**

 **-I don't have any plans to have Mal get wings or horns, nor to go visit the moors (not even sure if those exist within the Descendants universe), but she may turn into a dragon again at some point.**

 **-In this story, Ben does have the ability to turn into a beast, not sure yet when to implement that.**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and for the reviews.**

 **Please leave a review if you feel like it, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always reply.**

* * *

Chapter 10: Love

"Yes." Mal said.

Ben's thoughts, which had basically been spinning out of control ever since he got down on one knee, came to a grinding halt. For a second, he could hardly comprehend where he was, or what time it was. It was as if everything around him had been blurred, and only Mal and the ring in his hand were still clearly visible.

Had he just heard that correctly? Did she say yes?

"W-what?" He stuttered.

"Yes." Mal repeated, still somewhat breathless and both her hands clutched to her chest.

"Yes?" Ben asked loudly, his heart now starting to flutter.

"Yes!" Mal replied, a tearful smile now appearing on her face.

A loud cry of happiness escaped Ben's throat as he jumped up in his celebration, engulfed Mal in a tight embrace, and spun her around.

"Oh my god, Yes!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

Mal, who had yelped in excitement when Ben picked her up, now started sobbing uncontrollably as she pressed her head to Ben's shoulder.

Ben gently took her face in his hands and looked into her tearful, but happy eyes. Without another thought in his head, Ben pressed his lips to Mal's and kissed her fiercely. Mal eagerly replied, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

For Ben, this seemed to go on for hours, and it wouldn't have mattered to him if it actually did. He felt his heart beating uncontrollably in his chest, unable to contain the massive amounts of pure happiness flowing through his veins.

When they finally separated, all that both of them could do was look into each other's eyes, breathing heavily. Mal still had tears streaming down her face, but all Ben could do was smile broadly. For weeks this had been the moment he had prepared for, and now he was finally here. Mal had said yes. She had said yes! Ben literally felt like he couldn't be happier.

"Yes?" He asked again, just to be certain.

"Yes!" Mal loudly exclaimed for the fourth time, a large smile now also appearing on her face.

Instead of hugging her again, Ben gently grabbed Mal's right hand. He saw his own signet ring around her index finger and was happy to see him provide yet another ring to adorn her hand.

He took the engagement ring out of its box and slowly slid it onto Mal's ring finger. It fit perfectly, not a surprise considering that Dizzy knew Mal's exact measurements. Both of them took a second to admire the ring in the moonlight, which only made the purple and green diamonds shine all the brighter.

"It's beautiful." Mal said before her voice stocked. "My god, Ben, it's beautiful."

She once again put her arms around his neck and once again embraced him tightly. Ben hugged her back, the excitement and ecstasy he had felt right after Mal accepted his proposal was now replaced with a deep feeling of both content and accomplishment. He had finally done it, this was it. This was the beginning of the rest of their lives, which they would now spend together. Mal was his, and he had no trouble with letting everyone in the kingdom know.

Suddenly, sound was heard from all around them. Ben looked up and saw all the fairies he had invited cheer and applaud loudly, their shrill voices creating a buzzing atmosphere.

"They appear to be happy." Mal said with a smile, as she also looked up at the dozens of golden flecks in the night sky.

"You just became their queen, they have every right to be." Ben replied.

Ben saw a look of fear appear in Mal's beautiful green eyes as she once again looked up at the fairies.

"What if I let them down?" She softly said, so that only Ben could hear her.

Ben briefly kissed her on the lips. "You won't, you will be great."

"How do you know?" She asked, the panic now clearly visible. "What if I screw up, and I end up making things worse for people?"

"Do you actually want to make things worse for people?" Ben asked.

Mal looked perplexed. "Of course not."

"Then you'll do great. Your intentions are good and that's what counts. If you slip up, I know you will try your best to do right for the people, and I will always be there at your side." Ben told her.

Mal appeared to breathe a big sigh of relief before a broad smile reappeared on her face. "I will do whatever I can, Ben. I want what's best for the kingdom."

"You are what's best for the kingdom, we couldn't possibly ask for a better queen." Ben replied.

Mal looked back up at the fairies. "Not everyone is gonna think that way."

"You can never have everyone like you. There are plenty of people out there who still don't want me on the throne." Ben admitted.

"Yeah, but at least you are the son of Belle and Adam, you know, the good guys. Look at my family." Mal confided.

Ben looked into Mal's eyes. "You know as well as me that you are not your mother, not even close. If anyone is too stupid to see that then we'll try our hardest to change their minds."

"How?" Mal asked.

"For starters, by putting our all into ruling a peaceful and prosperous kingdom." Ben said.

Mal put her face in her hands. "Ugh, it's gonna be so much work." She complained.

Ben laughed. "You bet, you have another thing coming if you thought you had a busy schedule as 'lady of the court'."

Mal put her head on Ben's shoulder. "Please tell me you're not serious."

Ben kissed her head. "Well, it can get really busy, and demanding. But it's worth it, when you get to see all the good you can do for the people."

Mal suddenly gasped. "The kids! Oh my god, Ben! We can do so much more for the kids from the isle!"

Ben smiled. "Exactly! See, you're already taking others into consideration."

Mal went on. "W-we can build an entire new school for them, and the Auradon kids as well of course. Right next to Auradon prep I mean, that way we will be able to spend more time together!"

"Easy, easy." Ben said as he put his hands on Mal's shoulders. "We'll have plenty of time to think about those things after the wedding."

Mal's eyes suddenly went wide. "Oh my god! The wedding! There's gonna be a wedding!?"

"Well, yeah. That's a pretty common occurrence when two people get married." Ben replied.

Mal grasped Ben's collar and shook him violently. "Oh my god, Ben! The wedding! We have so much to do!"

"Easy! Easy!" Ben repeated, this time a bit louder. "We have plenty of time."

"But there is so much to do!" Mal repeated as she pulled on Ben's collar with more strength.

Ben turned to the fairies, who were still hovering around in the air, and made a small gesture with his head to signal that he would like to have some alone time with Mal. The fairies all made miniscule bows and disappeared into the tree line. This did mean that it was suddenly a lot darker, with Ben and Mal now only being illuminated by the moonlight.

Ben looked Mal in the eyes. "Don't trouble yourself so much, there's nothing to be worried about." He reassured her.

"B-but I've never even been to a wedding before, how am I supposed to organize one?" Mal asked fearfully.

"You won't be alone. I will be there, my parents will be there. Jane will probably demand to have a place amongst the organizing committee as well. And you'll get to pick out a maid of honor who'll pretty much do all the work." Ben explained.

"A-a maid of honor?" Mal exclaimed.

"Yes, and I believe that you might already have the perfect candidate picked out for you." Ben replied.

"Evie." Mal said.

"Of course! I'd wager that she's secretly been planning our wedding for a while already." Ben guessed.

Mal suddenly looked back up, the stressful look replaced by a more pervasive one. "Ben? Did Evie already know that you wanted to propose to me?"

Ben's head became as red as a beet, and he started stammering. "E-ehm, why do you think that?"

"A short while ago, when I just came back to Auradon prep, Evie suddenly started asking questions about our relationship and about us getting married. What did she know?" Mal asked as she crossed her arms.

"Ehm, well. Okay Mal, please don't be upset, but I told the others that I was going to propose to you." Ben explained.

"You did what!?" Mal exclaimed.

"Wait! Mal, wait! I only told them because I wanted to ask them, well, I wanted to ask them for your hand, Mal." Ben replied.

Mal looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that, in Auradon it's tradition for the groom to ask permission of the bride's family to marry her. Now, I know that you don't have any family apart from, you know…" Ben began.

"Mom." Mal finished.

"Exactly, so I did the next best thing. I asked Evie, Jay and Carlos, your other family." Ben told her.

Mal looked lost for words for a second, but then shook her head and looked back into Ben's eyes. "Y-you asked them for permission?"

"Yes." Ben replied.

"And what did they say?" Mal asked.

Ben smiled. "They gave their permission. They believe in us, Mal."

Mal looked at her feet, but Ben saw a small smile creep up on her face. "Those sentimental jerks." She mumbled.

Ben smiled but felt the need to come forward with some more information. "There are actually some more people who knew."

"What? Who?" Mal asked.

"Ehm, well, mom and dad knew. I wanted their input." Ben began.

"Okay, I can understand that." Mal replied.

"Then there was Doug, Jane, Lonnie, Jordan and, oh, Freddie. They were also there when I made the announcement to the others." Ben continued.

"Okay." Mal said, a bit less certain.

"Then there was, ehm, Archer. I really valued his council on this, I guess he told the rest of the troop as well, so they probably know too." Ben went on.

Now Mal's look darkened a bit. "Is there anyone else who knew about my engagement before me?"

Ben gulped. "Ehm, actually… Audrey might have been listening in when I told Archer, so she might know as well."

"Ben!" Mal exclaimed in an accusing tone. "Really? I was the last person at school to know of my own engagement?"

Ben groaned. "Come on sweetie, you weren't literally the last person to know about it. I only talked about it with some people to, ehm, you know, get multiple viewpoints."

"Get multiple viewpoints?" Mal asked incredulously. "What does that even mean?"

Ben inhaled deeply. "Look, I wanted to marry you. I was sure of that, but I did feel as though I needed permission from your family to do so, which is why I asked Evie, Jay and Carlos."

"I know that, but the rest? Ben, isn't this supposed to be a special thing between us?" Mal pleaded.

"Yes, but it still is. I haven't told anyone of how or when I was going to propose. This, this night is all for you, and all about you. It's always been you." Ben replied.

Mal's resolve seemed to disappear right at that moment, as her shoulders sagged, and an involuntary smile appeared on her face.

"Damn you and your words and all." She said.

Ben grinned. "I love you."

"Love you too." Mal replied, and the two kissed yet again.

Ben felt his stomach rumble, which was logical since he and Mal hadn't had dinner yet even though it was pretty much nearing midnight.

"Ehm, how about we head back to school? I'm actually getting quite hungry." Ben proposed.

Mal sighed loudly. "I thought you'd never ask, I'm starving."

Ben grinned and grabbed Mal's hand as they gathered their things and headed back.

Ben never let go of Mal's hand during their journey back, unable to stop looking at the new ring on her finger every once in a while.

"You're really proud of yourself, aren't you?" Mal asked when they neared the bridge.

"The ring just looks really good on your finger, I can pat myself on the back for that." Ben shrugged.

"It really does look good, doesn't it?" Mal said as she admired the ring herself. "How does it look with my eyes?" She followed up and she put her hand next to her eyes.

"Beautiful." Ben truthfully replied.

"And my hair?" Mal continued.

"Beautiful." Ben repeated.

"And what about my…" Mal began before Ben hugged her from behind.

"Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Beautiful and perfect, just like you." He whispered in her ear.

"Perfect? That's a big word." Mal said.

"But perfectly applicable." Ben replied.

Mal stopped walking across the bridge as she hugged Ben back. "Well, you're quite a good guy as well."

Ben grinned. "Good to know that my future wife has at least some respect left for me."

Mal looked up at Ben. "I'm gonna be your wife…" She slowly exclaimed.

"Yes, yes you will." Ben said, slightly uncertain. He still didn't know if or when his actions would provoke Mal into another panic attack. These had mostly occurred when large changes happened, or he had somehow put Mal under too much pressure. For this reason, he had vowed to always take things slow and careful with Mal and to always look out for her best interests. "You're not scared, are you?" He asked.

Mal's eyes widened. "No, I don't think so. You and me, getting married, it just feels… right, you know?"

Ben smiled, grabbed Mal's hand and placed it on his heart. "My heart says it does."

"And we should always listen to what your heart has to say." Mal said with a smile.

Ben gently squeezed Mal's hand. "Is this really happening? I'm not having, like, the best dream ever?"

Mal shrugged. "I wouldn't know, I'd just be a figment of your imagination."

Ben laughed. "Come on, please tell me this is real!"

"It is! It is." Mal reassured him. "Ben, we're gonna get married."

"We're going to get married." Ben replied.

A gust of wind breezed past them, making Mal's purple locks dance around her face. Ben never understood how she could just always astound him with her beauty. He did know that he couldn't care less.

"Come on, let's get back. I don't know about you, but I'm still hungry." Ben proposed.

"Same here." Mal replied as she started walking again.

Ben followed her down the bridge, the occasional sparkle showcasing the ring around his girlfriend's, no wait, his fiancé's finger.

Ben again started feeling ecstatic, he was eager to show everyone in the kingdom that Mal would be his future wife.

* * *

"Do you think everyone is asleep?" Mal whispered as she and Ben headed up Auradon prep's porch.

"Probably, it's quite late." Ben softly replied.

"Good, I don't really want everyone to find out already. It would probably take until dawn for us to get some sleep." Mal confessed.

"I hear you." Ben agreed.

"So, where can we get our food?" Mal asked as she softly opened the door into the school.

"In the kitchen, we'll be able to warm something up there." Ben answered.

"Amazing, so a warm-up meal will be our first meal as betrothed?" Mal asked with a grin.

Ben shrugged. "If you would rather grow famished, be my guest."

"It's fine." Mal replied as she grabbed Ben's hand and headed for the kitchen.

"Do you think they fixed the door already? From Archer's blast, you know?" Mal asked.

"No idea, I would guess so though." Ben replied.

They continued walking through the dark halls of Auradon prep, not a soul in sight. When they turned the final corner, Mal almost ran into someone heading in the opposite direction. Both Mal and the other person yelled in surprise as they startled each other.

"Evie!?" Mal exclaimed.

Ben looked around his fiancé and indeed saw Evie standing in the hallway, her hand clutched to her chest and an open box with a plethora of cookies spilling out on the floor.

"What are you doing here?" Mal asked.

"I just finished baking these cookies, but now they're ruined, so thanks for that." Evie complained.

"Why are you here so late though?" Ben asked.

"The kitchen was occupied for the entire evening. The staff said something about having to keep a meal prepared. They only left about an hour ago." Evie explained.

"Yeah, that might be my fault. It told them to keep a meal waiting for Mal and I." Ben said.

"Ooh, how did your date go?" Evie asked, her interest in the cookies suddenly forgotten.

"Ehm, good. We just ran a bit late eventually." Mal explained, failing to keep her tone casual as her cheeks also started burning up.

Evie, as nosy as she is, noticed this immediately and Ben saw that her eyes quickly flashed down to Mal's right hand, the hand where her engagement ring sparkled brightly.

Evie gasped loudly, putting her hands in front of her mouth.

Both Mal and Ben were startled by Evie's sudden reaction but said nothing to arouse any suspicion.

"What's wrong, E?" Mal asked.

"You didn't care to mention that!?" Evie shrieked as she pointed to Mal's hand.

"What?" Mal asked, failing miserably to hide the ring under her other hand.

Evie pulled Mal's hand off the ring and shrieked again, basically loud enough for the entire school to hear her.

"You said yes! You said yes!" She screeched as she enthusiastically started jumping up and down, not letting go of Mal's hand.

"Evie, please!" Mal begged. "Keep it down a bit."

"But… Oh my god! This is huge! You're getting married! This-ehm… Ooh, and you! Mal! Ben! We… Oh my god, your dress! We can… Oh my god!" Evie ranted, unfortunately not quieting down for any second of it.

"Evie, please calm down!" Ben urged.

When Evie continued rambling, Mal simply put her hand over her mouth, effectively shutting her up.

"Evie! Listen!" Mal commanded.

Evie nodded underneath Mal's palm.

"Yes, Ben and I are getting married. We will tell everyone tomorrow, but it's really late now and we haven't even had dinner yet, so can you please let this be? Just for tonight." Mal begged.

Evie looked at both Mal and Ben with pleading eyes, obviously eager to literally shout the news from the roof tops. Mal slowly removed her hand from Evie's mouth nonetheless.

"Guys, I'm so happy for you." Evie said heartfelt.

"Thank you." Mal replied with a smile. "We're quite excited ourselves."

Mal looked at Ben and smiled. Ben smiled back and leaned in for a kiss, which Mal happily reciprocated.

"I'm sorry guys, I can't help it." Evie suddenly said.

Before either Ben or Mal could do anything, Evie made her loudest shrieking sound to date. It was more like a scream.

Both Ben and Mal grabbed Evie and effectively silenced her again.

"Evie! Really!?" Mal exclaimed, obviously annoyed.

Ben knew that the damage had been done. Above him, he heard the loud, rumbling noise of footsteps walking in the hallway. Evie's scream had alerted other students, who would undoubtedly come downstairs to investigate.

"Get ready Mal." He said. "We may have some explaining to do."


	11. Chapter 11: Commotion

**Sorry for not updating in a while, things have just been really busy.**

 **Anyways, here's the newest chapter, we're getting into even deeper BAL territory as the story continues.**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and for the reviews.**

 **Please leave a review if you feel like it, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 11: Commotion

"What was that?" Lancelot said, looking up from his book.

Archer didn't need to ask what Lancelot meant, he had heard it too. "Sounded like a scream, someone could be in trouble."

Both of them jumped out of their beds, still in their pajamas, and bolted for the door. After rushing through the doorway, Archer looked around but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Royce and Aden appeared from the door on his left.

"Did you hear that?" Royce asked.

Archer just nodded and ran past him, conjuring up Excalibur whilst doing so. Lancelot, Royce and Aden followed him, all of them were on bare feet and in their pajamas.

"It sounded like it came from downstairs!" Aden yelled as he trailed behind the others.

They ran down the stairs as fast as they could, skipping several steps. Archer led the others as they first looked around the lunch yard, where everything was quiet. They then sprinted past the lockers into the first hallway, which was next to the kitchen.

Archer looked around and saw Ben, Mal and Evie standing further down the hallway.

"Ben!" Archer yelled as he quickly approached him. "Did you hear that scream? Do you know what's going on?"

Ben sighed deeply in response. "It's nothing, Archer. It was Evie who screamed, but it's nothing."

"Wha- Why did you scream?" Archer asked Evie.

Archer saw Evie give pleading looks to Ben and Mal, who both gave her piercing stares in return.

"It's nothing." Evie eventually replied with a sigh. "I just bumped into Mal when I walked through the hallway and they scared me. That's all."

"Hmm, what are you doing here exactly? It's quite late." Archer asked.

"I was baking cookies!" Evie immediately answered loudly.

"Okay…" Archer replied, a little perplexed. "And you?"

"We ran a bit late, wanted to grab a bite to eat first." Ben explained.

"Where did you go?" Aden asked as he put away the knife he had pulled.

"We were on a date. That's still legal, right?" Mal answered, a little harshly.

"Yeah, sure." Aden answered, a little insecure.

Archer pulled up an eyebrow, as did the rest of his troop. Ben, Mal and Evie were all acting rather strangely, as if they wanted to hide something. Before he could ask any further questions, three people appeared at the end of the hallway.

"Mal? Evie?" One of them yelled.

Mal groaned as Carlos, Jay and Lonnie approached them.

"We heard someone scream, was that one of you?" Jay asked. Both him and Lonnie had messed up hair and wore their pajamas, Jay furthermore had his shirt on backwards. Carlos was wearing his normal clothes.

"It was me." Evie admitted. "But it was nothing guys, honest."

"Why did you scream?" Carlos asked.

"I-I just ran into Mal and Ben, they startled me." Evie repeated.

"Hmm, they must have scared you pretty badly then." Carlos replied.

"Where were you guys actually?" Lonnie asked Ben and Mal.

"What?" Ben replied.

"We didn't see you at dinner." Lonnie continued.

"Oh yeah, we had a date. Kinda lost track of time." Ben said shrugging, but a blush gave him away. He was hiding something.

Archer kept staring at him, but Ben tried his best to evade his eyes. Archer then darted his eyes to Mal, who was shuffling uncomfortably on her feet and kept her left hand clutched around her right.

The wheels in Archer's head span at top speed, and he yelled out loud when he eventually came to a conclusion.

"Woah!" He exclaimed.

"What?" Everyone around him asked in shock.

"Woah! Woah! Woah!" Archer repeated.

"Archer, what's going on?" Lancelot asked.

Archer pointed at Ben. "Did you….?" He then pointed at Mal. "Did she…?"

Both Ben and Mal turned as red as a beet, but neither were able to say a word. All Archer could do was stare and point, unable to do much more than gurgle some unintelligible words. Now something appeared to dawn on both Lancelot and Carlos, who also started looking at Ben and Mal more closely.

"D-did you ask her?" Carlos asked Ben.

Ben and Mal seemed to become even more flushed than they already were, with Mal almost convulsively squeezing her right hand with her left.

Now something apparently dawned on the rest, and they all stared at Ben and Mal with wide eyes.

"Did you ask her?" Jay repeated. "Are you…?"

Mal sighed deeply, but then removed her left hand from her right and showed everyone the green and purple diamond encrusted ring on her finger.

Both Evie and Lonnie squealed in delight and the rest of the guys yelled out in surprise. Within a second, everyone had gathered around Ben and Mal in a big group hug. Archer yelled out his congratulations but could hardly hear himself over the sound of the others, who were equally as enthusiastic.

Ben and Mal, who initially looked hesitant, now both had broad smiles on their faces while accepting everyone's felicitations.

Hugs were shared, and happy wishes were exchanged. Neither Evie or Ben ever let go of Mal, all done with the intent to not get her overwhelmed. It wasn't long however before all guys pulled Ben aside into some kind of mix of a group hug and warrior's dance. In any case, Ben was now surrounded by Archer, Jay, Carlos, Lancelot, Aden and Royce, with all of them singing the same lyric at the top of their lungs.

"He's getting married! He's getting married!" Echoed through the school.

Naturally, the commotion they made caused other students to show up and inspect the tumult. Soon, the group already present was joined by Alex, Freddie, Jane, Jordan, Doug, Chad, Ally, Anxelin, Ruby, Herkie, Arabella and many more.

As soon as any of the new arrivals learned why they were being so loud, they immediately rushed to congratulate the newly engaged. Ben had a perpetual smile on his face, accepting everyone's best wishes and continuously hugging and shaking hands. Mal tried to play it cooler, seemingly a bit uncomfortable with the large crowd, but it was very apparent that she was ecstatic as well.

Even Fairy Godmother arrived at one point, dressed in a furry robe and slippers. She was initially furious about so many students being up past curfew, but immediately softened up when Ben and Mal told her about their engagement.

Fairy Godmother gasped. "Bibbidi-bobbidi… Well, just this once I can make an exception. Just don't make it too late."

"We promise." Ben replied.

Archer removed himself from the crowd a bit, both to let other people interact with Ben and Mal and to give himself some breathing space.

"What's going on here?" A voice behind Archer asked.

He looked back and saw Audrey, in a fluffy robe with her hair in a messy bun and some sort of cream applied on her face.

It took a second for Archer to take it all in, but then he answered. "Ben proposed to Mal, she said yes."

Audrey's mouth fell open so far, that it almost looked as though her jaw had fallen off. "They what!?"

"They are getting married." Archer explained, both his eyebrows pulled up.

Audrey looked stunned. "W-when did this happen?"

"We only just found out." Archer replied.

Audrey seemed distressed more than anything else, her eyes shooting from Ben to Mal and back. Her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

Archer grinned. "What? Disappointed that you'll not become queen?"

Audrey scoffed. "Please, I'm over that. I just didn't think that he'd actually have the balls to ask her already."

"They are in love, and Ben thought the time was right." Archer explained. "You can be happy for them, right?"

"I guess. But I don't see any point in interrupting my beauty sleep any more, goodnight." Audrey said before turning around and heading back upstairs.

When Archer turned back to the collection of students, he stood face-to-face with Ben.

"What did she want?" He asked, nodding at Audrey.

"Just wanted to share her opinion on your unexpected engagement." Archer answered with a grin.

Ben shrugged. "Ah well, you can't have everything."

"How do you feel?" Archer asked, now that he some alone time with Ben.

Ben looked back at Mal, who was showing off her ring to pretty much every girl in the school. "I feel on top of the world."

Archer looked at Mal as well, noting the genuine smile of excitement on her face. "You are both very lucky. I have no doubt that you'll make each other very happy."

Ben smiled. "I hope so too. Maybe we'll finally find some peace, she deserves that."

"This will be nice. Having your happiness as a shining beacon in these dark times. It will give the people hope." Archer said.

Ben grinned. "A shining beacon, really? Since when are you such a poet?"

Archer shrugged. "You know I've always been good with words. I promise that I'll say some nice things at your ceremony."

"You better. The best man is often expected to make the first toast." Ben replied.

Archer looked at him in astonishment. "The best man?"

Ben looked back. "Of course, who else?"

Archer smiled broadly and punched Ben on the shoulder before hugging him. "It would be an honor."

"I was serious though, you better come up with something good." Ben replied. "And this also means that I'll be able to burden you with all stressful wedding activities."

Archer's shoulders sagged. "Well, that became unappealing very quickly."

Ben hit Archer on the shoulder. "You know that you'll get help from the maid of honor, thought I doubt if Evie will even consult you for any decision."

Archer looked over at Evie, who was already having a heated discussion with Jane and Doug, probably regarding the wedding.

"I think it'd be best if I'd just let her handle things." Archer proposed.

"I wouldn't blame you. I actually don't have that many demands, I mostly want it to be Mal's day." Ben said.

"Nah, I will do my best. Consider it an early wedding present from me to help as much as I can with organizing." Archer replied.

"Again, you'll probably have to deal with Evie. I'm not even sure if I'll have a say in any of this." Ben grinned.

"But still, this will be a lot to handle. Surely, she'll accept any help offered, right? I mean, with everything involving the location, the people and the… ooh." Archer suddenly stopped.

"What?" Ben asked.

"Dude, I just thought… You are going to have your hands full with the press from now on. I mean, this is a royal wedding, they'll become rabid." Archer said.

Ben groaned. "Damn, I hadn't even thought of them. God, they'll probably be here to ambush us by tomorrow. Or, do you know if any news has already leaked?"

Archer checked his phone. "Ehm, yep. _#royalwedding_ is already trending, followed by _#benandmal_ and _#allhailthequeen_."

Ben groaned again. "So far for keeping this under wraps I guess."

"Don't worry about it." Archer advised as he guided Ben back into the crowd. "Tonight, is still your night and you will enjoy it goddammit!"

Ben grinned. "I guess I will leave my worries for tomorrow then."

Archer nodded. "Exactly. And who knows, maybe the press will finally take it down a notch?"

* * *

"KING BEN! KING BEN! HOW DID YOU PROPOSE?"

"MAL! HAVE ANY WEDDING PLANS ALREADY BEEN MADE?"

"WHAT IS THE REASON YOU DECIDED TO GET MARRIED AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE?"

"KING BEN! HAVE YOU HEARD OF ANYONE VOICING THEIR DISPLEASURE WITH YOUR FIANCÉ?"

These questions and hundreds more had already pretty much been thrown at Mal and Ben the entire morning. After their engagement was made public the previous night, the two of them had been pulled out of their beds ridiculously early by Fairy Godmother and Ben's parents.

"It's barely morning, what's this about?" Mal mumbled sleepily after Belle and Fairy Godmother had tenderly awoken her.

"Sweetie, the press is already here. They demand an audience with you and Ben." Belle answered.

"Already!? What? Can't this wait until, like, noon or something?" Mal asked, her mind now starting to awake.

"I'm afraid not, dear. In the case of a royal engagement, the press has the right to call an audience at any given time." Fairy Godmother explained.

"Where's Ben? Does he know?" Mal continued.

"Adam and Lumière are waking him up as we speak. The two of you are expected at entrance in about fifteen minutes." Belle replied.

"Fifteen minutes!? My god!" Mal wailed as she threw her head back on her pillow.

"Mal, get up!" A third voice said.

Mal raised her head and saw Evie come out of the bathroom, fully clothed. Mal just groaned in response and pushed her face back into her pillow.

"Mal, come on! I already have an outfit for you, if we just apply some simple make-up and quickly style your hair, you'll have time to eat before facing the press." Evie explained.

That got Mal's attention. If anything, she wanted to have something in her stomach before having to possibly face a mob of flashing cameras and shouted questions for the duration of the morning.

"Fine! Fine!" She mumbled as she slowly slid out of bed.

"Good." Belle said stiffly.

Mal noticed that Belle looked at her differently than usual, her usually loving face now mixed with something resembling worry.

"Anything wrong, Belle?" Mal asked.

"What? No, it's nothing sweetie. Just… Well, you don't find out that your only son is going to get married every day." Belle replied.

Mal's eyes widened. She had just realized that neither her or Ben had faced either of his parents ever since the announcement of their engagement had been made.

"Oh my god, Belle! I'm so sorry, we should have told you. It's just… we wanted to keep things under wraps, but then Evie found out and the others came and…" Mal rambled.

Belle shushed her. "Shh, Mal. It's all good, sweetie. Ben had told us of his desire to marry you and we're glad to finally officially welcome you into our family."

Mal gave a sigh of relief and hugged Belle, who, she just realized, would become her mother-in-law.

"Mal!" Evie hissed. "Sorry to interrupt your tender moment, but we only have thirteen minutes for you to get ready!"

Mal quickly sat down in front of Evie, who grabbed her make-up supplies and got to work on Mal. Belle and Fairy Godmother both left to prepare the press.

Within eight minutes, Evie had applied a sufficient amount of make-up and put Mal's purple hair in a simple pony tail. Evie had also picked out one of Mal's favorite purple dresses.

"Good luck." Evie said once Mal was ready to go.

"I'll need it." Mal replied.

She stood up and headed for the door, only to have someone knock right before she reached it. Mal opened up and saw Ben standing in the hallway, wearing a neat, blue suit and holding a tray of food.

Ben looked a bit stunned at first after Mal opened the door, but a broad smile quickly appeared on his face.

"You look beautiful." He said.

Mal just groaned and pulled Ben inside. "We only have a few minutes left, please give me food."

Ben handed her the tray, which held oatmeal with strawberry yoghurt and a glass of orange juice.

"I tried to postpone it, but the press has really put their foot down this time. They are still reeling after I sent them away after the dance." Ben tried to explain.

Mal had her mouth full, so she just nodded.

"Thank you for all your help, Evie." Ben said.

Evie waved her hand. "It's no problem, I'll probably have to face much more when the wedding planning actually starts."

"Oh yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that. Archer, as my best man, should probably also be involved in some way." Ben said.

Evie bit her lip. "Well, he can sit and watch. I have actually already conjured up a vague outline with Doug and Jane, I don't really know where Archer will fit in."

Ben's shoulders sagged. "He just wants to help, promise me that you won't turn him down."

Evie seemed reluctant, but sighed nonetheless. "Fine, I'll see what I can do. Or, what he can do actually."

"Ben!" Mal suddenly said from behind him. "I'm finished, let's go."

Without waiting for a reply, Mal grabbed Ben's hand and dragged him out the room, waving to Evie in the process.

"Are you ready for this?" Ben asked with genuine concern.

"Of course, it's not like I haven't faced them before." Mal replied as she turned to Ben.

Ben noticed a small speck of strawberry yoghurt on Mal's chin, and he couldn't suppress a smile.

"What?" Mal asked.

"Here." Ben said as he wiped the speck off of Mal's chin with his thumb. "Don't want to let the press know you're a messy eater."

Mal smiled back, but it was somewhat of a sad smile. "Can you, just, hold me for a second."

Ben didn't respond, but instead put his arms around Mal in a tight embrace. Ben had always loved the way she so easily fit in his arms, it made it all the easier to see her as the center of his world. Mal was equally happy whenever the two of them hugged. For her, there was no safer place than in the arms of the person she loved.

"We can do this, together." Ben softly said as he stroked her back.

"Together, always." Mal replied before kissing him.

Back to the present, where both Ben and Mal were currently being blinded by flashing cameras and deafened by screaming reporters. Mal had honestly tried her best to answer all questions to the best of her ability, but quickly felt her temper rise and her level of annoyance start to grow. While Ben didn't show it on his face, Mal knew that he felt exactly the same way, she saw it in his eyes.

It had already easily been over two hours and, given the ridiculously early time at which she had to get out of bed, Mal felt absolutely exhausted. As much as she now liked to consider herself a level-headed person, Mal couldn't trust herself to not wish a thousand curses on each reporter in front of her. She knew that it was their job to gather all news, but could they really not try to harass them like this.

Mal was awoken from her thoughts when Adam suddenly stepped in front of them and addressed the reporters.

"Everyone, please!" He yelled with his thunderous voice. "The king and his fiancé have had a very busy night, so I urge you all to come back at later scheduled times. This audience is at an end."

The reporters naturally protested this announcement, but Mal could hardly understand them as Belle and Fairy Godmother directed her and Ben back inside. Mal's mind was numb from the constant questions and the flashing of the cameras, and she felt a sharp pain in her temple.

"Are you alright?" Ben asked in a tired voice. Now that they had gotten out of side of the reporters, Ben had allowed himself to finally let his fatigue show.

"Yeah, fine. It just never gets easier though, does it?" Mal replied.

"Well, as long as you are with me I don't mind so much." Ben said.

Mal put her head on Ben's shoulder and closed her eyes, instantly feeling better now that they didn't have a horde of eager reporters at their doorstep.

"You two go get some sleep." Belle suggested. "You had a long night and a busy morning, we need you sharp and attentive at the official proclamation this afternoon."

"That sounds good." Ben said with a large yawn. "What do you think, Mal?"

Mal just nodded, not wanting to open her eyes.

"We'll wake you around lunch time." Belle said before she and Fairy Godmother walked back towards the entrance.

"Come on Mal." Ben said as he nudged his shoulder. "I'll take you to your room."

"Can I stay with you?" Mal mumbled.

Ben grinned. "Well, who would I be to refuse my wife-to-be?"

Mal looked up, her green eyes wide open. "Can you carry me?"

Ben's grin widened. "You just can't get enough, can you?"

Mal pouted. "Pretty please."

Ben didn't need to hear any more, instead grabbing Mal under her knees and back, carrying her bridal style. Mal rested her head in the crook of Ben's neck. "I love you." Was the last thing she said before her tiredness took over, and she fell asleep in Ben's arms.

* * *

Some loud noise awoke Mal from her sleep. She looked around Ben's room, which was where she was currently laying on a king-size bed.

Ben was still next to her, snoring loudly and fast asleep. The rest of the room looked normal, except for something to her left. In front of a window, a golden vase with several blue flowers had fallen into shards, which had probably been the sound that woke her up. As she looked, a hand suddenly appeared on the window frame. Someone was breaking in!

"Hey!" Mal yelled loudly.

The hand let go of the window frame, which was immediately followed by the sound of a scream and a crash.

"Wha-?" Ben mumbled from next to Mal, having apparently also woken up from the ruckus.

Mal jumped up and ran over to the window. When she looked out, she saw a man laying on his back at the bottom of the building, groaning in pain.

"Hey!" Mal yelled again.

The man looked up in fright, scrambled back up and ran off, a camera dangling around his neck.

"What? What's wrong?" Ben asked from behind her.

"Someone tried to break in!" Mal said loudly as she turned to Ben, who was now sitting on the edge of his bed.

"What!?" Ben exclaimed as he stood up. "Who?"

"Some kind of paparazzi, he just fell down from the window!" Mal replied.

"Is he alright?" Ben asked as he joined Mal at the window.

"Ben! He tried to break in! Should we really be wondering if he's okay at all?" Mal questioned.

Ben sighed. "Well, maybe. I am actually supposed to look after my people."

"Ben, we have to do something about the press. This is the final straw." Mal said with conviction.

Ben sighed again. "Damn, I had really hoped that they would start to lay off, I've warned them plenty of times."

"Yes, but they just proved that they don't listen. Ben, all they do is harass us whenever we go outside, can we please take some sort of precaution?" Mal pleaded.

"We already have security around the school, I'm not sure what more we can do about it." Ben replied.

"Some punishment at least. I mean, these guys have broken in here, like, five times now. At least take their cameras away." Mal suggested.

"I will do more than that, I'll message my father right away to start up a new proclamation. Any type of damage done by the press will now be counted as harassment, to which a legal punishment will follow. Hopefully this will discourage most form attempting stunts like this again." Ben summed up.

"Good." Mal said as she sunk back down on the bed.

"You okay?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, I'm just so tired of the press. Really, Ben. I'm fed up with the way they shamelessly harass people and still try to claim to be the good guys." Mal told him.

Ben nodded. "I get it. If there was an easy to fix this, I would do it. But I still have to respect my people and their profession."

"I would just like to have a world where we do not have these freaks breathing down our necks all the time." Mal confessed.

"And we will. Together, we will make this world a better place. And I'm king, so I can actually keep that promise." Ben said with a satisfied smirk.

Mal smiled back at him. "Since when did you get so cocky?"

Ben stroked his chin, pretending to think. "Well, a short time ago I was introduced to supposedly the evilest girl in the world."

"What was she like? Was she pretty?" Mal asked with a pout.

Ben sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. "You wouldn't have liked her at all. She was way too witty, cheeky and confident."

"But was she pretty?" Mal repeated.

Ben grinned. "She was the most beautiful girl in the world and soon she will be the most beautiful bride."


	12. Chapter 12: Faith

**A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and for the reviews.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 12: Faith

"I still can't believe it, and they dare to call us evil!" Evie said to Mal as the two walked through the halls of Auradon prep.

It had been a day since the failed break-in attempt of one of the paparazzi. Ben's proclamation issuing a heftier punishment for harassing press had been active for the entire day, and Mal had, to her delight, not seen even the slightest hint of any flashing camera since.

"I know, I spoke to Ben about it so many times, this break-in has apparently finally convinced him." Mal replied.

"I'm glad. I still remember that time I found one of them in our room, sniffing through our stuff. He had the nerve to tell me that he was from the press, as if that was supposed to make up for anything." Evie ranted.

"Exactly! I mean, everything they've been doing for so long has actually made me think about some things." Mal said.

"What?" Evie asked.

"Well, you know how the Auradonians took all the villains and sent them to the isle?" Mal began.

"Yeah?" Evie replied, still in a questioning tone.

"But then Ben came around and started bringing some of the good people on the isle back, mainly the children of those villains." Mal continued.

"Yeah?" Evie repeated.

"Well, why not do the same with Auradon? Initially, all the good people stayed here, but they've all grown up and had children of their own. I'm not sure if Ben has ever looked if the people he ruled are actually good people." Mal concluded.

Evie stopped walking and stared at Mal pervasively. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"Well, why not E? I mean, it would only be fair." Mal said with a shrug.

"You're talking about sending Auradonian people to the Isle!?" Evie exclaimed.

"Only bad people! I mean, that's what the isle is for, right?" Mal replied.

"Well, I guess. But… I like to think that we have all grown as people. I like to believe that we no longer have to rely on a distant island to send everyone who's caused us trouble." Evie suggested.

"The good guys did it to us and look what happened. They have a thriving kingdom." Mal said slowly.

"And the people on the isle have to bicker for scraps." Evie replied. "M, remember how it was for us to grow up there? We couldn't let our guard down for one second or we would risk losing everything we had. Are you truly saying that you'd be okay with having that happen to other people?"

Mal uncomfortably stroked her arm. "I guess not, but I also don't believe that people here in Auradon should be able to do however they please."

"I'm not saying that either." Evie told her. "All I ask is that you try not to fall back on extremes. Start of lightly, with mild punishments. If people still misbehave, maybe try to initiate some sort of prison or detention center here in Auradon."

Mal looked at her best friend. "E, that's actually a really good idea. You're right, we don't have to rely on these extreme punishments, we can take the middle ground in some instances."

Evie happily put an arm around Mal's shoulders. "There you go. See, you don't necessarily have to become an evil ruler."

"Well, my mother was not actually an evil queen." Mal replied with a shrug.

Evie sighed. "Mine was, but then again, I am not the one who will become queen of Auradon."

Mal felt the familiar sensation of fear and excitement come over her when Evie would mention anything about her upcoming marriage with Ben, and the subsequent ceremony which would officially swear her in as queen. Mal believed that her insecurities would always continue to be present but had also been reassured more times than she could count by Ben, Evie and numerous others. The nerves she had felt before cotillion and when she and Ben had first discussed a possible marriage had pretty much disappeared.

"Are you okay?" Evie asked once she saw Mal's expression.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I don't feel so panicked anymore whenever people talk to me about becoming queen. I mostly just want this all to be over so that me and Ben can finally be happy." Mal confessed.

Evie smiled at her. "Well, you don't have to worry about that. Jane and I have been working non-stop, we already have some plans for the wedding that you're gonna love."

Mal smiled back. "I want to believe you, but how can you already be planning when we don't even have a concrete date for the wedding yet? Or a venue?"

Evie shrugged. "It's all in the details. Trust me, you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

"So, you're saying that I won't be a nervous wreck at the first meeting tomorrow?" Mal asked.

Tomorrow would be the first official meeting of the so-called wedding committee. Both Ben and Mal would be present but would mainly select ideas proposed by the wedding planners, which were Jane, Evie and Archer. Ben's parents and Fairy Godmother would also be present, since the wedding would be paired alongside Mal's official coronation.

"All you have to do is approve our ideas. You and Ben can spend your time all lovey-dovey while the rest of us take care of all the preparation." Evie reassured her.

Mal uncomfortably shrugged. "E, I don't want any of you to simply put my duties on your shoulders."

"It's no trouble, no trouble at all." Evie went on. "M, I get to see my best friend get married. To see you be as happy as you can be is one of the greatest gifts you could ever give me."

"Aww, thanks E." Mal replied as she put her head on Evie's shoulder.

"And if I ever get married, you will get to be stressful on my behalf." Evie said.

"There it is!" Mal exclaimed with a broad smile.

The two continued their way to the lunch yard, where Ben was already joined at his table by Archer, Carlos, Jay, Jane, Chad and Audrey.

"Hey!" He cheerfully called out to Mal.

"Hey!" Mal happily replied before softly kissing Ben and taking a seat on his lap.

"What were you discussing?" Ben asked.

"Evie and I were simply stating our happiness at the lack of flashing cameras around." Mal answered with a smile.

"I know, it almost appears as though things might get normal around here." Ben said.

"Normal? Maybe, but it just as well might be the busiest time the kingdom has ever seen." Jane complained as she furiously typed on her laptop.

Carlos sat next to his girlfriend but kept silent at her outburst and simply poked at his food. Jay similarly paid no attention to Jane's rambling, but he was more focused on the tourney schematics in front of him. Archer had been talking to Ben before Mal and Evie showed up and had taken a small break from talking to tend to his food. Audrey and Chad were cackling with each other about the wedding, but every topic mainly concerned themselves.

"Mal!" Jane said sharply. "We still have the issue of the flower girls and the ring bearer I proposed to you earlier, have you given it any thought?"

Before Mal could answer, Ben stepped in. "Jane, we have a meeting tomorrow. That's when we'll decide on any of these major decisions."

When Jane started sputtering as a response, Ben softly shushed her. "Jane, we will deal with all of it tomorrow. Come on, it won't matter if we make any decisions one day in advance. You should actually consider taking a day off as well."

Jane didn't respond, but did resume her furious typing.

Ben and Mal gave each other an exasperated look before grinning.

"So, any plans for tonight?" Mal asked.

"Nothing particular, it actually appears that we might get a quiet night in." Ben replied.

"Ooh, so, movie night?" Mal suggested.

"Perfect." Ben answered. "And the meeting for tomorrow is planned at one, so we'll actually have time to sleep in."

"Amazing." Mal replied with just a hint of sarcasm.

Evie sighed in blissful admiration whilst looking at the couple, and partly to escape her friend's stare Mal excused herself to go to the bathroom.

After just a few steps through the hallway adjacent to the lunch yard, Mal saw an all-familiar flash followed by a clear snapping sound.

Mal turned around lightning fast and was just able to see a person hastily jump behind a pillar. She felt her anger rise rapidly as she swiftly moved over to the pillar.

"Hey!" Mal yelled pervasively as she approached.

Before reaching the pillar, a figure already jumped away from behind and bolted through the remainder of the hallway.

"Stop!" Mal yelled as she gave chase. "I order you to stop!"

That got the paparazzi's attention, with even this person knowing that refusing a direct order from the future queen would most definitely spell trouble. Right before the end of the hallway, the paparazzi stopped running and begrudgingly turned to Mal.

The paparazzi was a woman, about a decade older than Mal, with dirty blonde hair and bright red glasses.

"Your majesty." The woman said with a bow. "I was actually just on my way to-"

"You were taking pictures of me and Ben." Mal calmly interjected. "You are trespassing, which according to king Ben's newest proclamation is a criminal offence."

The woman actually scoffed at Mal's response. "Please. No offence your majesty, but I am simply doing my job. This is the way our business has always been run."

"Until now." Mal growled. "What you're doing is not gathering news. All you do is harass us in an attempt to get a good shot for your gossip stories!"

The woman rolled her eyes, but shuffled back a number of steps nonetheless.

"Ben and I, all of us, we are still just kids. Ben might have to rule a kingdom, but we are still just kids. Can't you just lay off for one freaking second!?" Mal exclaimed loudly.

The woman now looked back at her downright unpleasantly. "The people want to see what the people want to see. I can't control that, we are all just going along with the flow."

Mal now felt even more agitated. Was this woman actually defending everything she and her fellow reporters had done? All supposedly in the name of their craft?

"If that is truly how you believe, then you will have to face punishment." Mal said calmly.

"Fine, I'll just leave the premises then." The woman hastily said as she turned away.

"No!" Mal yelled, making the woman stop dead in her tracks. "Ben and I have been more than reasonable with all of you, you will be facing a different punishment that befits Ben's latest proclamation. The least you can expect is a fine and the confiscation of your camera."

The woman now seemed even more annoyed and clutched her camera. "You can't do that, I can't do my job without my camera!"

"Well, then don't go around secretly taking pictures of people! Don't you believe that that shouldn't be what reporting is all about?"

The woman scoffed again. "It's not necessarily what I believe, it's just the way it is. This is my job and I have to make a living. You're just too young to understand how hard it is to survive in the real world."

Mal was absolutely appalled when she heard those words. Just who did this woman think she was!? Mal was raised on the isle! She had been struggling to survive pretty much from day one! If she hadn't been the daughter of Maleficent, she might have ended up less lucky. She had known plenty of kids who had died on the isle, if not from starvation then by the hands of someone else.

"I don't know how hard it is to survive in the real world?" Mal asked, a slight tremble in her voice. "How dare you even say that? Do you have any idea what I've been through!?"

Now the woman seemed both scared and slightly ashamed. "Please, your majesty, I meant no offense."

"Well, it's a bit too late for that, isn't it?" Mal snapped as her eyes glowed green. "You will hand in your camera right away!"

The woman held the camera to her chest, as if it were a baby. "Not a chance!"

"I wasn't asking!" Mal retorted as she approached.

The woman bolted for the end of the hallway, but Mal used a spell she had remembered by heart to grab hold of the camera, which stopped moving in mid-air, also forcing the woman to a grinding halt. The woman clung to the camera for all she was worth, trying and failing to drag it along with her. Mal kept the spell activated as she slowly approached the woman again, who still desperately pulled the unyielding camera, with a stoic expression.

"Y-you witch! Devil's spawn!" The woman shrieked.

As soon as those words escaped the woman's mouth, Mal went rigid. Her mind shut down and she instinctively clenched her fist in disgust. At the same moment, a shock went through Mal and some of her pent-up magic burst out.

The camera, still held tightly by the woman, exploded with a loud bang, causing the woman to fall back with a scream of pain.

Mal looked on in horror as the woman clutched at her face, where several small pieces of debris had lodged themselves in her skin. Her hair was also smoldering as a result of the explosion and a part of her torso and arms was covered in soot.

"N-no…" Mal mumbled as she walked towards the woman she had wounded.

"Mal! What…" She heard from behind her.

Mal looked back and saw Ben, Archer and Jay stand at the end of the hallway. As soon as the guys saw the still shrieking woman at Mal's feet, they ran over to her.

"What happened here!?" Archer yelled as he kneeled next to the woman and examined her injuries.

Mal only stammered, no words escaping her mouth.

"Mal, what did you do?" Ben asked, a horrified expression on his face.

"I-it was an a-accident…" Mal mumbled, tears springing into her eyes. She looked at Ben, who still had that horrified expression, at Archer, who looked both apprehensive and slightly judgmental, and at Jay, who was just perplexed.

Mal couldn't bring herself to look at their faces for another instant and bolted for the other side of the hallway. She felt Jay's fingers graze her shoulder in an attempt to withhold her, but she shook them off and continued running, and running, and running. She ran all the way back to Ben's room, which they now shared, and locked the door behind her. She then slowly slid down the side of the door, until she made contact with the carpeted floor.

What had she done? She had wounded someone, lost control! She had abused her magical abilities for something evil! Instead of calming down over time, Mal's breath only quickened, her heartbeat fastened, and the cold sweat ran down her spine.

Unable to hold back the first sobs, Mal jumped onto Ben's bed and buried her head in a pillow. The scream she let loose was one of the loudest she had ever produced, but the sound was still muffled by the pillow. She then pulled the covers over herself in an attempt to somehow separate herself from the rest of the world. She could no longer think clearly as she kept laying there in Ben's bed, for how long she didn't know.

When her exhaustion finally caught up with her and she felt her eyelids drop, someone knocked on the door.

Mal didn't answer, she no longer felt safe talking to anyone.

"Mal? I know you're in there, please open up." Ben's soft voice said through the door.

Mal again didn't respond, instead opting to stay still with the blanket wrapped tightly around her.

She heard the sound of a key turning a lock, followed by the sound of a creaking door, and she knew that Ben had entered.

"Mal." Ben said softly. "Mal, we need to talk about this."

Mal still didn't give any sign that she heard his words, instead continuing to lay still, her gaze fixated on the view outside the nearest window.

A sudden weight on the other end of the mattress indicated to her that Ben had sat down on the bed. She then felt his hand on the small of her back, slowly rubbing circles. "Mal, how do you feel?"

Mal practically started screaming on the inside. Surely Ben could guess how she felt!? She had spent all this time in Auradon trying to become a better person, for herself, but mostly for the people she loved. She had found peace with the idea that she would become Ben's future queen. She had accepted the responsibility of having to take care of an entire kingdom. All of that effort, the emotional turmoil, had been for nothing. All because of that one accident she'd had! That one time she had lost control.

"You can guess how I feel." Mal mumbled in response to Ben.

Ben sighed. "I need to know what happened Mal. Why did it happen?"

A tear escaped one of Mal's eyes. "It wasn't on purpose. It was an accident."

The mattress raised up again as Ben stood up before kneeling in front of Mal, staring at her with his hazel green eyes. He didn't look angry or disappointed, more concerned.

"I know that it was an accident." He eventually said.

"How?" Mal asked softly.

"Because you would never do this to anyone." Ben answered. "I know you, Mal. You're a much better person than you'd like to admit."

"Ben, did you not just see what I did?" Mal retorted, slightly raising her head.

Ben gulped slightly. "I did."

"Then you should be furious with me. I just single-handedly ruined my chance to become queen." Mal fell out at him.

Ben looked perplexed. "What do you mean by that?"

"Ben, I attacked someone! I hurt someone! I used magic to hurt someone!" Mal ranted, her sobs becoming more apparent.

Ben softly shushed her as he stroked her hair. "Mal, I need you to believe me here. It's all going to be alright…"

"No, Ben! No! How many times have we gone through this!? This is just what always happens! I snapped! I lost my temper and I hurt someone because of it! This will happen again! These people, they don't stop and I am not strong enough to withhold myself all the time!" Mal ranted.

"You are, Mal. You are so strong…" Ben began, but Mal interrupted him.

"I am not! I can't do this! I want to do good for people, but everyone still keeps pushing me to be someone I'm not. They don't understand! They will never accept me unless I keep proving myself time and time again!" Mal sobbed.

Ben suddenly grabbed Mal by the shoulders and dragged her up, so that she was now in a sitting position and he could look her in the eye. "You won't have to! Mal, I'll be there for you! Always!"

"You can't!" Mal yelled in frustration. "You can't just keep me under your wing like an injured bird, I need to be able to sort out my own problems!"

"You don't have to be alone in this matter. You don't have to be alone at any time!" Ben clearly stated.

"But I do need to be able to fight my own battles, Ben. What good of a queen can I ever be if I still require someone to hold my hand at all times." Mal complained.

This appeared to leave Ben lost for words for once, as he looked down but continued rubbing Mal's shoulders.

"Ben, I don't think I can do this." Mal said in a sad tone.

Now Ben looked up with a shocked expression. "What do you mean?"

"Become queen." Mal continued.

Ben now looked pretty much frightened. He opened his mouth, clearly about to reprobate her, but Mal talked right through him.

"I can't do it, Ben! All the responsibilities, the stress, the people and everything! It's too much! I want to, Ben I really do! It's just… Every time I try my best and it's never good enough or there are these people who just always have it out for me. I am only human, Ben. Why can't they see that?" Mal ranted.

Ben remained quiet after Mal was finished talking. It seemingly hurt him to hear Mal talk like this.

"Ben, I love you. I love you like no one else. You know that, right?" Mal tried to reassure him.

"Of course." Ben replied softly.

"I'm just not sure how…" Mal started before being interrupted by Ben.

"I won't lose you!" Ben said loudly, startling Mal. "Not again! Whatever is going at any time in our lives, we will work it out together!"

Despite herself, Mal felt her temper rise. "I already said that I don't want anyone holding my hand at all times!"

"Well too bad!" Ben replied. "I love you and I want us to get married. What that means is that whatever problems any of us get saddled up with, we handle them together!"

"But it shouldn't be like that, Ben!" Mal protested.

"That's exactly how it should be!" Ben claimed. "You become husband and wife for a reason, to be at each other's side for everything."

"But I'll be more than just your wife. I'm supposed to be queen, Ben, how am I supposed to do that?" Mal complained.

"Don't ever believe you have to do everything alone. I mean, I'm king right now, but do you think I all decisions by myself? Without any help? Right now, I still have my parents to fall back on, I have Lumière. A good ruler listens, Mal. But it won't remain like this forever. My advisors won't be there forever. I will need someone to rule by my side, and Mal, I couldn't think of anyone more perfect for the job than you."

Mal was silenced by Ben's words. In some kind of way, they made sense. Ben was never meant to rule the kingdom all by himself, he had advisers, friends and family. No one ever claimed that he was weak-minded or whatever because he asked others for help, no, they said he was wise. Wise people always look for council from others, try to look at a situation from multiple viewpoints and never make rushed decisions.

Mal looked into Ben's eyes, who stared at her both questioningly and hopefully. "I don't have to be alone…" Mal slowly said.

"Yes." Ben replied softly. "I will always be by your side."

"But… what happens now?" Mal asked.

"What?" Ben questioned.

"The woman I attacked…" Mal continued.

Ben hung his head. "We'll have to speak to a lot of people about it. Fact is that the woman was trespassing and ignoring a royal decree."

"But I attacked her, I hurt her, I used my magic on her!" Mal went on.

"Which is why this will be a little harder than usual. Some people will demand extreme punishments for you, but I won't let that happen." Ben tried to reassure her.

"Come on Ben, what kind of case can you put up against this?" Mal questioned.

"The people know you, Mal. They know that you're good and they want you to be their queen." Ben said.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that. After that entire isle business and now this… Who would still want me?" Mal asked in a sad tone.

To Mal's astonishment, Ben started grinning. "Haven't you looked online ever since our engagement was made public?"

"No." Mal answered truthfully.

"Here." Ben said as he plopped down next to Mal and showed her his phone. "A huge number of people have already commented on it, most reactions are through the roof. Mal, the people love you. Now, I will fight whatever is coming our way until the wedding, and I would love to have you by my side."

Mal looked back at the comments on Ben's phone. Like Ben had said, most were absolutely positive. "I will fight for us." Mal resolutely said as she looked back at Ben. "And I will show everyone else that I will fight for them as well."

"That's already more than they deserve." Ben replied.


	13. Chapter 13: Planning

**It has taken a bit longer recently to write chapters, but stay tuned because they will eventually arrive.**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **One little question; I always wondered who you guys would pick as actresses to play CJ and Freddie in any live-action Descendants movie. If you want to, please share.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 13: Planning

"Good, you're finally here!" Jane said once Ben and Mal walked through the large doors of the Auradon Cathedral and into coronation hall.

The first official meeting of the wedding committee had been postponed by a few days after Mal's run-in with the paparazzi, which had culminated in Mal injuring a woman with her magic. That issue had thankfully been resorted, with the woman not pressing any charges in exchange for erasing her punishment for ignoring a royal decree.

Mal had had a rough week, with people pulling at her from all directions either trying to congratulate her on the engagement or asking her increasingly complicated questions. These questions were either also related to the marriage, or to her feud with the press. Mal had done her best to drop the latter subject from her mind, and all these nosy people around her didn't help. Ben had similarly been swamped by work, both handling the wedding planning whilst simultaneously dealing with the isle threat. Mal became more and more impressed by the way he kept on handling his royal duties, whilst also spending plenty of time with her. She had seen the dark bags underneath his eyes for the past week or so and had vowed to herself to do as much as she could to take some of the stress away from Ben. While he never made a single complaint, Mal could not sit idly by and watch the kindest person she knew get swamped by work.

Today however, all of their other activities had been put on hold in order for them to fully focus on their wedding, or, as Ben liked to call it, their day.

One of the things that had already been concluded was that the wedding would take place in the Auradon Cathedral, the same place where Ben was crowned king and Maleficent had been turned into a lizard.

Mal and Ben had been joined by Ben's parents, Fairy Godmother, Evie, Archer and Jane, their wedding committee. Adam, Belle and Fairy Godmother mostly oversaw all official business-related aspects of the wedding, Evie and Jane concerned themselves with the planning and decorating, while Archer just mainly walked around and offered his council whenever necessary.

Even though he didn't do that much purposeful, Mal was happy to have Archer around. He was apparently the only one not completely stressing out of their mind about the upcoming wedding, and Mal was grateful to have one person to talk to who could actually calm her down. Ben of course knew how to do that, but he was naturally excited about the prospect of getting married so he tended to be a bit more tense lately. In any case, Archer managed to be the one to bring Mal back to earth, apparently being an expert in knowing what to say to take her mind of the wedding. The others managed to do exactly the opposite, with Evie being far more giddy than usual and Jane being even more pushy and stressful than she was during cotillion.

"Jane, we're not even late. We said that we'd meet at one, didn't we?" Ben clarified.

"We did technically say that, but in wedding terms you are always supposed to arrive at least three hours in advance." Jane rambled.

Both Ben and Mal rolled their eyes and instead happily greeted Evie and Archer, who stood behind Jane.

"Any new things you guys came up with?" Mal asked.

Evie squealed. "M, I might have had the best idea in like, well, ever. Listen, so you already know we decided on two flower girls, right?"

"Right." Mal answered.

"Okay, so I have been thinking who to pick and my first thought was automatically Dizzy." Evie explained.

"Aww, that'd be great. Would she be up for it?" Mal asked.

Evie rolled her eyes. "Do you even know Dizzy? To have any sort of part in a royal wedding is practically her dream. So, do I have your permission to ask her?"

"Of course, she'll be adorable." Mal replied.

"Great." Evie mumbled as she scribbled something down on her clipboard. "So, that then leaves the question of the second flower girl. Luckily for you, I also have someone in mind for that."

"Who?" Mal asked.

"Leia, the girl from the orphanage you always visit." Evie proposed.

Mal felt a warm feeling creep up inside her when Evie mentioned that proposition. It was true that Mal had regularly visited the orphanage, accompanied by either Ben or Evie most of the times, mainly to visit Leia. Together, they had played, painted and regularly checked up on their little spot in the garden. Even though Mal initially tried not to take preference of one isle kid over another, even she had to admit Leia was her favorite. The possibility of having her walk down the isle as one of Mal's flower girls made her giddy in her stomach.

"That'd be perfect." Mal said heartfelt.

Evie squealed again. "Great, I'll take care of everything. Though, I guess you'll probably want to be there when we pick out their dresses."

"You bet." Mal replied.

"Amazing, so that leaves one more thing I wanted to discuss, the ring bearer." Evie then proposed.

Mal sighed. "E, I wouldn't have the faintest idea on that."

"But I did." Jane piped in as she started walking next to the other two.

"Oh yeah? Who?" Mal asked.

"Well…" Jane began as she rummaged through the papers on her clipboard. "In recent times, it has become somewhat of a tradition for people to have their pets be the ring bearer during weddings. You should have seen the wedding of one of Ariel's sisters, they did it in a submerged room and had a dolphin…"

"Jane!" Mal interrupted her. "We get it, animals, so what's your plan?"

"We have Dude bring the rings." Jane stated simply.

Mal and Evie stared at each other in surprise at first, before they both apparently realized it wasn't that bad of an idea.

"Well, he can talk…" Evie began.

"Plus, he'll look adorable if we put a little suit on him." Jane added.

"I think it's a good idea. How about you, M?" Evie asked Mal.

"I don't really mind, as long as he keeps his paws clean." Mal replied.

Both Evie and Jane smiled, and hastily started scribbling on their clipboards.

"Mal! Evie! Jane!" Someone yelled.

Mal, Evie and Jane looked back to see Belle beckoning them to follow the rest, who had already moved further into the cathedral. Both girls hastily followed.

Jane quickly started explaining some of the ideas she and Evie had had to Ben, often pointing generally around the large hall.

Adam and Fairy Godmother listened in and also mentioned some of the official dealings they had already made.

One of these, which had been a scarce piece of input from Archer, was that friar Tuck would be the marriage officiant. For ordinary weddings in Auradon, Fairy Godmother would usually be the marriage officiant, but since she would also swear in Mal as queen in the same ceremony, it was decided to find another person suited for the job.

Speaking of Archer, he held his distance from the rest of the group at the moment, mainly twiddling his thumbs. Mal decided to speak with him for a little while.

"Hey Archer." She greeted.

"Hey, so what do you think of it so far?" Archer replied.

"Well, it's all coming together, isn't it?" Mal answered.

"Exactly, all we pretty much need to do is set a date and we'll be golden." Archer said.

"Ben told me that you were the one who proposed friar Tuck." Mal began.

"That's right." Archer replied.

"Have you known him for long?" Mal continued.

"Pretty much since birth. My parents are good friends with Robin Hood and Lady Marian. Through them, friar Tuck has been there for pretty much every major ceremony in my life. When Excalibur was passed to me, he was the one who led the ceremony alongside Merlin." Archer explained.

"And he has no trouble with becoming our marriage officiant?" Mal asked.

"Absolutely not. I spoke with him yesterday and he is quite thrilled to be officiating a royal wedding." Archer replied.

"He's not the pressuring type, is he?" Mal went on.

"Nah, he's actually a pretty laid-back type of guy. If you told him you'd prefer to get married in sweat pants he wouldn't bat an eye." Archer clarified.

Mal laughed, which got the attention of Ben, who joined the two.

"What's so funny over here?" He asked.

"Archer was just telling me about friar Tuck, have you met him?" Mal replied.

"Yeah, a couple of times when my family would visit Sherwood. He's a nice guy, you'll like him." Ben said.

"It's so nice to keep getting reassured that everything will turn out great, it's almost as if you're saying a lot of stuff can go wrong." Mal sarcastically said.

Ben raised his eyebrows and Archer just shrugged. "Well, you're technically right." Archer then said.

Ben hit Archer on the shoulder. "Way to be tactful man."

Archer grinned. "Relax. Look at her, she's able to handle at least some kind of pressure."

"Exactly. Ben, I'm fine. I know that we're gonna have a busy time preparing the wedding, but please don't feel as if I won't be able to handle myself." Mal jumped in.

Ben seemed reassured. "That's great sweetie, but again, it will mostly be these idiots who'll do most of the stressful jobs."

"And you are ever so thankful for that." Archer replied.

"Really though, what are the major decisions that still need to be made?" Mal asked.

"I can answer that." Evie stated as she joined the others and looked on her notepad. "The date is our main concern right now, but you can be sure that it won't be for at least another three months at least."

"Three months!? Why that long?" Mal asked indignant.

"There is still so much planning to do, M. All we have now is an outline. Once the date is set, we can start arranging things like flowers and other decorations, you need a dress, as well as the bridesmaids and the flower girls. Ehm, we need to figure out who to invite, and since Ben is king that list might take a while to compile…" Evie rambled.

"And all of this will take three months?" Mal asked.

Evie nodded, but hastily replied once she saw Mal's face. "This is all done to make sure you have the most perfect possible wedding."

"I don't need it to be perfect, at least not in that sense." Mal confessed. "I don't care what will happen, as long as I get to marry Ben."

Ben put an affectionate arm around Mal and kissed her on the head. "Trust me, I feel the same way."

Evie snapped her fingers. "Yeah, that's sweet and all but let's get back to reality guys. This is the way we have to do things and since I'm organizing as well, it will be marvelous."

Both Ben and Mal decided against arguing with Evie on this matter and instead joined up with the others to further discuss everything involved with the wedding.

It took about two more exhausting hours of walking through the cathedral before the wedding party moved onto the next item of business, the invitations. The wedding party moved to a secluded room in the cathedral where all could sit around a table.

This was the part where Mal was involved the least. All the people she wanted to invite that weren't already in the wedding party could be counted on one hand. Evie, Jay, Carlos and Freddie were pretty much the only people from her youth she wanted with her for the day. Besides them, there were a few of the younger isle kids she would like to invite, Dizzy and Leia included. Mal had already compiled that list some time ago though, and she thus had very little input in this matter.

Ben's guests were another problem entirely. Besides already being king, he was also the son of two of the most beloved people in Auradon's history. The list of royal guests and long-time family friends already reached far into the hundreds. Mal had tried to pay attention at first, only to soon realize that Adam, Belle and Fairy Godmother were literally naming every guest name by name.

Besides both Ben and Mal's friends at Auradon prep, these guests included pretty much all members of any royal family, from Aladdin and Jasmine to Triton, Ariel, Eric and their dozens of cousins. Ben naturally had to keep note of the conversation, since he was the half of the wedding couple who actually knew these people. After only fifteen minutes, Mal felt herself doze off, with her not really able to add anything meaningful to the conversation. Everyone noticed but decided against reprimanding her of it.

Both Evie and Jane did eagerly listen to the planning mostly done by Ben and his parents, since they would only be able to start making seating arrangements after the number of people that would be attending was certain.

The Auradon cathedral had already been chosen as the wedding venue, but a place for the reception was yet to be chosen. It was certain that the cathedral was big enough to fit however many people Ben would end up inviting, even if the number would eventually go beyond a thousand, but it was still a matter to find a suitable location for that amount of people to settle down after the ceremony.

One location that had been proposed at an early stage was Auradon prep, or rather the fields surrounding the school. Mal had no doubt that these were large enough, and she liked the idea of being near such a familiar structure.

Though no one had given any official feedback, Mal knew that everyone agreed that Auradon prep would make a fine location. If such a large number of people were to be put around the school, a number of arrangements regarding shelter would have to be made. Tents would naturally make for sufficient accommodation, but these would have to be reserved, which would make the job for the wedding committee yet another bit more difficult.

This was a constant struggle in Mal's mind. She was actually afraid to voice some of her preferences if they would put more pressure on her friends. Both Ben and Evie had naturally assured her that she needn't worry about any of them, that the wedding would be for her and that she had every right to make it as great for her as possible, but that didn't really put Mal's mind at ease. Her days of shamelessly taking advantage of people for personal gain were long behind her, now she was trying to look out for everyone's best interests.

"Mal?" A voice suddenly asked.

Mal awoke from her contemplations and looked around. Every eye around the table was focused on her.

"Sorry." Mal mumbled. "I think I dozed off a bit, what's up?"

Ben grinned, but both Belle and Fairy Godmother gave her a judging look.

"We just discussed your own proposal to have the ceremony around Auradon prep." Belle said.

"Oh!" Mal exclaimed. "And? Have we reached any conclusion?"

"Had you actually listened in, you would have heard we decided on approving it. Some preparations will naturally have to be made, but we are already swamped in work anyways." Adam replied.

"Thank you." Mal reacted, the gratitude dripping from her voice. "Really, this means a lot and I know how much work this will be."

"It won't be a problem, dear." Fairy Godmother answered with a smile. "And my guess is that everyone feels a bit fatigued after a long day, so how about we postpone further topics of discussion for our next meeting."

Everyone around the table mumbled in agreement before pushing back their chairs and standing up.

"You okay?" Ben asked as he joined Mal at her side.

"Physically, yes. Mentally, exhausted." Mal replied.

Ben chuckled. "You have every right to be, I believe we have stayed here longer than we intended."

"Really? What time is it?" Mal asked Ben with a yawn.

Ben grabbed his phone from his jacket and looked at the screen. His initially relaxed expression turned to one of worry in an instant.

"What?" Mal asked.

"I have twenty-seven missed calls, from Lance, Audrey, Jay, Carlos…" Ben began.

"What?" Mal repeated, as she bent over to look at the screen. "What's wrong?"

"No idea." Ben replied. "Maybe…"

But Ben was interrupted by a shrieking sound, for which Evie was responsible.

"Evie?" Mal asked. "What… Did the others message you too?"

Evie nodded. "Doug called me ten times! He left a message! Something happened at Auradon prep!"

"What!?" Both Ben and Mal exclaimed as they joined Evie at her side.

"What did he say?" Ben asked.

Evie fidgeted with her phone, her shaking fingers unable to correctly push any buttons.

"Guys?" Archer suddenly said sharply as he looked up from his phone. "There's been an attack!"


	14. Chapter 14: Missions

**It has taken a bit longer recently to write chapters, but stay tuned because they will eventually arrive.**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 14: Missions

It had been around two weeks since every member of the crew had taken residence in the ruined watch tower. While the first week was characterized by a lot of bickering around the table and gathering information on the strange land they now found themselves in, they were a lot more outgoing in the second week.

Solomon and Uma had organized the others into small reconnaissance parties with the goal to find out as much as possible about Auradon's defenses and landscape. So far, about a dozen of these small expeditions provided them with a very detailed map of the land around Auradon Bay and Auradon City, including several small villages surrounding them and every notable river, hill, cave or cliff.

Those last items were of upmost importance. When the undead army and everyone remaining on the isle would join forces, a large battle with Auradon's army was inevitable. Their opponents would have the home advantage, so Solomon had sent out his accomplices to find out as much as possible about the terrain. This way, they would have some knowledge about certain strategic points in the area, either for defensive or offensive purposes. Solomon knew that once all of his forces were combined, they would have enough to beat Auradon, but he wanted more. Solomon wanted their victory to be resounding. He wanted to beat the Auradonians so badly that no one ever even think of raising a finger against him. He wanted to show everyone that would remain alive that he was a man to be feared.

But all of that would have to wait until the time was ripe. For now, pretty much everyone in the crew was content to keep doing these recon missions, some more than others.

Solomon had noticed that CJ in particular was always up for another mission. At first, Solomon might have hoped that it was because of her increasing interest in their goal, but he soon realized it was simply to have as much time away from him and Uma as possible.

Another problem regarding these missions were Harriet's goons. Clay and Anthony made no effort in keeping their displeasure to themselves, both still believing that attacking swiftly would be a better plan. Solomon didn't pay much mind to their bickering, since the others were already doing a sufficient job gathering information without their help.

While this time of simply gathering information was helpful enough, it didn't bring much excitement with it. That was until one faithful afternoon when Zevon and Maddie returned from a trip to the outskirts of Auradon City with some news.

"Engaged you say?" Solomon asked Zevon, who stood before him panting.

"Yes! Yes! It was all over the news!" Zevon eagerly replied.

"You are certain of this?" Solomon continued.

"Of course, sir, why would we lie?" Zevon responded.

"When did this happen? We heard nothing of it yesterday?" Solomon retorted.

"He must have asked her tonight or something." Maddy piped in.

"He asked her?" Solomon continued.

"Yes, apparently…" Maddy began.

"What's going on here?" Uma asked as she entered the tower with Harry in tow.

"We just overheard it in town, Mal and the boy king are getting married!" Zevon hastily answered.

"They what!?" Uma loudly exclaimed.

"It's in all the papers, on every TV channel!" Maddy added.

"They're getting married!? He asked her? He asked her now!?" Uma shouted.

"I can't give you his reasoning, but yeah, that's what happened." Maddy replied.

"And Beastie Boy asked Mal?" Uma continued.

Maddy nodded.

"And she accepted?" Uma followed up.

Maddy nodded again.

"Well, well. They both got more balls than I imagined." Harry stated with a faint smile.

"What do you mean by that?" Solomon asked.

"Well, when I last saw Mal she was still hesitant about committing. The boy must have pulled something special to make her say yes." Harry explained.

"Why would he ask her though, why now?" Uma questioned.

"How are we supposed to know?" Zevon answered with scorn.

"I don't expect you to know anything!" Uma spat.

Zevon ignored her insult. "And by the way, so what? What does it matter why he asked her now?"

"You might have noticed that we are at war with them! Why would he propose to her in the midst of all this?" Uma went on.

Both Zevon and Maddy shrugged, but Solomon answered. "His reasoning matters not to us, but what will happen now does."

"We otta send them a wedding gift then, shouldn't we?" Harry proposed.

"What do you have in mind?" Uma asked with a grin.

"A little reminder maybe?" Harry proposed. "Something to make sure they haven't forgotten about us."

"Don't be stupid!" Zevon retorted. "You'll get us exposed."

"Hold on." Solomon interjected, raising his finger. "There might actually be something here."

The others looked at him perplexed.

"Are you actually agreeing with Harry's insane ideas?" Clay asked.

"Not necessarily, but this is a chance we might be able to afford to let slip." Solomon began.

"What do you mean, a chance we cannot let slip? The bitch and her dog are getting married, how is that of interest to us?" Anthony questioned.

"Are you actually suggesting we give them a wedding gift?" Clay followed up, his arms crossed.

"Wow, you might actually be even bigger morons then I've previously thought." Solomon sarcastically replied.

Maddy and Zevon snickered, while both Anthony and Clay simply scowled at Solomon.

"Then explain what you mean, so that us foolish mortals might also understand whatever goes on in that oversized head of yours." Clay retorted.

Solomon gave his insults no mind. "We will discuss this when the others return, we all need to hear this."

The others dispersed upon hearing his announcement, but Uma approached him.

"What do you have in mind?" She asked.

Solomon shrugged. "Let's just say that it might be time to get out of the shadows, make our presence known."

"Good." Uma replied.

* * *

"Get in quickly, we have something to discuss." Solomon said with authority once CJ and Gil entered the tower.

The two had been spying on the shores near Belle's Harbor to figure out the best spot for Harriet to make her landing, but now had to listen to Solomon.

"What about?" CJ asked as she dropped her bag, which was filled with food and their notes with information regarding their expeditions.

"Something has happened in Auradon, something big. Have you not caught any wind of it on your expedition?" Solomon began.

CJ and Gil looked at each other. "Not really, everything looked normal."

"Well, you might be surprised then to find out that king baby beast proposed to our dear Mal." Solomon explained.

"What!?" CJ exclaimed, looking similarly as shocked as Uma had been.

"We have a wedding to disrupt." Uma said with a grin.

CJ seemed lost for words, similarly to Gil, though he rarely looked different.

"What Uma means to say, though she lacks some subtlety, is that we feel like the timing is right to make our presence known to our friends here on the mainland." Solomon went on.

"We… What? Are they actually getting married?" CJ asked.

"They are planning on it. They made it quite abundant in their media campaign." Zevon said.

"Hmm, I always thought they were a bit young to get married." Gil stated while shrugging.

"What does that actually have to with anything we're discussing?" Anthony said in a disbelieving tone.

Before Gil could reply, Harry smacked him on the back of his head. "Just shut your trap for once!" Harry hissed.

"So, how is this wedding of any interest to us?" CJ followed up, as if the conversation hadn't been interrupted.

"Our good friend Solomon wanted to wait for you before kindly sharing his views on the situation." Uma replied.

"Why?" CJ reacted.

"For the next stage of our plan, I need everyone to put in their best performances." Solomon explained.

"For what? Are you saying that we will finally start fighting?" Clay asked in a protesting tone.

Solomon smiled evilly. "Yes Clay, you and the others will have plenty of opportunity to let your violent tendencies flow."

"Fucking finally. So, what's our precise plan?" Anthony reacted.

"All of you will have to do your part." Solomon began as he walked over to their makeshift map. "We will start raiding Auradon villages, I already explained our reasoning for doing so."

"To make people flee for Auradon City and get the Auradonian army away from shore." Anthony recalled.

"Exactly. I have awaited the perfect time to strike and I believe that it is here." Solomon went on.

"Why now? Is it because of the engagement news?" Harry asked.

"It is exactly because of the engagement news. I had not expected this either, but it is actually perfect." Solomon continued.

"Why? How do you plan on using this?" Uma questioned.

"Well, let me explain. I had never dared to imagine that king baby beast would ever dare to propose to Mal with the threat of war looming, but in doing so he might have granted us a great opportunity." Solomon recounted.

"How!? Goddammit!" Clay yelled in frustration.

"He basically created his own diversion." Solomon stated. "This is a royal wedding, so everyone will focus on it. Furthermore, since our beloved king decided this was the right time to pop the question, I can only believe that he doesn't imagine the isle as that big of a threat anymore."

"You think he let his guard down?" Harry asked.

"Exactly. See, this is what we've been building towards. We dig in and prepare, while our enemies grow less weary by the day! And now our enemy has gone and introduced his upcoming wedding into the equation, distracting both his own and his people's mind from us!" Solomon rambled.

"So now you believe is a good time to strike, right? So, what do we do?" Uma asked.

"We hit them, hard! We make them panic, we make them bleed. We force king baby beast to call his troops back into the mainland and then we call for Harriet to make the cross. Then, once everyone has landed ashore, I conjure up the undead army and hit the Auradon forces from the back." Solomon summarized.

The rest stared at him with open eyes and mouths.

"So, that's the entire plan?" Anthony questioned.

"It's an outline, it remains to be seen what will happen along the way. We must all remain vigilant and look for opportunities. If we happen to get a chance to weaken our opponents, we must take it." Solomon continued.

"Ooh, this is gonna be fun!" Maddy exclaimed, rubbing her hands.

"It will. For now, we can finally start preparing for specific tasks. First and foremost, we need vanishing potions. These will allow us to travel throughout the kingdom rapidly." Solomon explained as he looked at Zevon.

"I shall prepare as many as possible as soon as possible." Zevon answered with a slight bow.

"For the rest it will be best to simply harnish your fighting skills as much as possible. Soon we will sweep across Auradon in a wave of pure destruction." Solomon announced.

"You always have such a nice choice of words in your speeches. Ever thought of becoming one of those motivational speakers?" Harry teased.

"Quip all you like, I just need reassurance that you'll all be ready when the fighting starts." Solomon retorted.

Everyone mumbled in agreement.

"Good." Solomon replied.

* * *

The sun was shining, a slight breeze was felt every now and then and the birds were happily chirping. The perfect day to cause some trouble.

Solomon looked ahead at the large building in front of him, where dozens of people were currently walking about. None of them had noticed him thus far, another indication of their stupidity.

So, this was the famous Auradon prep? A place so horrible it made Mal long for the good old days on the isle. It perfectly fit the peaceful, boring image Auradon was going for, with a perfectly kept front lawn and exquisitely brandished outer walls.

The people weren't much different. As Solomon watched multiple students walk past his field of view, he noticed how most were pretty much clones. Everyone wore the same type of clothing, in similar, bland colors. Solomon had grown up on the isle, where everything was run-down and broken, but he had to admit it looked more alive than this place. On the isle, there were hardly walls not covered in colorful graffiti and most inhabitants had personally styled their leather outfits in order to stand out. There was never a boring day on the isle, for better or worse, which was the complete opposite from the dull site he gazed upon now.

This would not be hard on him. All these people happily strolling about, totally oblivious to the suffering on a deserted place just off their shore. But it wasn't as if they didn't know. No, they knew what was happening alright. They knew how hundreds of people had been locked away, hidden, concealed in a prison, basically living off of scraps. They knew of the innocent offspring of the people who had hurt their parents decades ago. But they didn't care. These people claimed to be the good guys, but seemingly didn't care to find out about all the people suffering on that godforsaken hellhole.

They didn't care.

Well, he was gonna make them care.

He would show them how stupid they were to ignore him.

He would show them that they should have really paid more attention to what had been happening in their own backyard, for if they would have known, they would have done best to keep him in chains at all times.

Solomon raised his arms, pointing them in the direction of the large building in front of him. He took a deep breath and tried to focus as much as possible on the many stained-glass windows that decorated the front of the school.

These windows annoyed him almost as much as the rest of the building and its surroundings did. Everywhere he looked, stained-glass images of the people that banished his father and dozens of others to the isle looked back at him. Smashing these to bits would basically be a balsam to his soul.

He concentrated, his gaze still fixed on the colored glass within the window frames. People still walked about outside, happily chattering, Solomon could only imagine how many more were indoors. The magic soared through his veins, he felt it build up as his arms started shaking. This was it…

With a tremendous surge of power, Solomon unleashed his spell over Auradon prep.

Within a second, every window in Auradon prep, both inside and out, was shattered with the sound of a large explosion accompanying the sudden commotion. Solomon stepped back, his body suddenly exhausted as the use of magic took its toll on him.

Meanwhile, many students screamed in horror as glass started pouring down on them. Solomon looked on in fascination. Instead of simply breaking the glass, the spell he had chosen had literally made every window explode, meaning that broken shards of glass were being propelled through the air as if they were incredibly sharp bullets.

Most students Solomon could see had fallen to the ground in fear when the booming sound of the explosion went through the air, but some stayed down after getting injured by the turmoil.

Screaming was the only sound Solomon could still hear. Frightened students who either screamed at the pain inflicted by the shards of glass still flying through the air or initially because of shock, but then because of fear. Not only outside, but the sounds of panic and chaos also drifted out from the inside of the now windowless building.

Many students were now strewn across the property, crying in pain due to injuries from the glass. Others who had not been injured speeded to their fallen friends in an attempt to help them. Solomon watched in glee how most clutched their arms, legs or face in pain, multiple already starting to bleed profusely. The wounded were being dragged away from the school, to a place where they could lie on the ground without getting punctured by anymore glass.

Students now also started pouring out of the heavy front doors. To his disappointment, Solomon saw that most were unharmed with only a few tiny shards of glass hanging from clothes or hair. Some, however, were apparently heavily wounded and being hastily moved away.

Suddenly, Solomon recognized someone. Jay, the son of Jafar, sprinted through the wooden doors, a dark-haired girl in his arms. The girl was pressing a hand to her side, where a relatively large amount of blood was leaking out of. Solomon watched in amusement as Jay ran towards the edge of the property as fast as he could, visibly panicked.

When he looked back on the school, he saw several more familiar faces.

Freddie Facilier and Carlos, son of Cruella De Vil, were trying their best to get as many people to safety as the could. Neither one of them appeared to be injured.

A large guy, who Solomon recognized as one of the soldiers that had come to the isle to save Mal, supported a younger looking boy who was limping on a bleeding leg.

A few moments later, another one of the soldiers, a blonde one this time, carried a girl with ridiculously long, blonde hair and a serious head wound out of the building.

Solomon enjoyed the looks of despair on the people's faces, as most gathered in front of the school waiting for help. Way too soon, for Solomon's taste at least, sirens were heard in the distance, indicating that help for the injured people was on its way.

Solomon reached into his pocket and took out a small vile of transparent liquid, one of the many portions of vanishing potion made by Zevon.

Solomon looked back at the destruction he had caused one more time, before focusing on his gang's hideout in the ruined tower and smashing the vile to the ground.

A few seconds later, wherein Solomon felt as if he was being pulled through a whirlpool, he suddenly stood in front of the entrance of the ruined tower. He took a few seconds to focus on his surroundings and regain his footing. Travelling through vanishing potion was not the most comfortable way of traveling.

Solomon entered the tower, where the rest of his crew were mainly relaxing. All eyes went on him when he came in however.

"Solomon! What happened?" Uma demanded as she hurried over to him.

Solomon grinned. "Ah, it was glorious. Phase one of our operation was a complete success. I spread some chaos and managed to injure some of our favorite Auradonian students in the process. They will know that we're here, and we will make it clear that it was our intention to let them know."

"So?" Uma asked in a bit of a teasing way.

"Now it's your turn." Solomon replied.


	15. Chapter 15: Message

**A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story thus far, and the ones who just started reading of course.**

 **Please leave a review if you feel like it, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **The new Descendants 3 teaser _Mal's Darkness_ was released a short while ago and it was amazing! Still, I feel like it provided more questions than it answered. Go watch it if you haven't already!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 15: Message

"Oh my god…" Both Ben and Mal exclaimed as they walked through the doors of Auradon hospital.

As soon as word of the attack reached them, the two of them, along with Evie, Jane and Archer headed to the hospital, where the injured students had been transported to. Fairy Godmother and Ben's parents had headed to the school, which according to the short messages they had heard thus far was badly damaged. Neither Ben or Mal had heard anything about how many students were injured, or which ones.

The moment Ben figured out what had happened he speeded to the royal limousine to head back to Auradon prep. Half way there, the group got word that all the injured had already been transferred to Auradon hospital, forcing them to make a beeline back to the city in order to see their friends as soon as possible.

They knew next to nothing. All of them had received messages from multiple numbers, who were thus all people who were confirmed to be alive. Jay, Carlos, Freddie, Doug, Lancelot and Audrey had all left voicemails, which was enough to calm Mal. At least none of her closest friends had died. The panic in the voices of her classmates did concern her though, they sounded genuinely terrified.

Besides not knowing how large the casualty count was, the amount of damage done to Auradon prep was also still a mystery to them. All they had thus far heard was that apparently all windows had been smashed, which of itself wasn't that bad Mal thought. The way her friends spoke however made it sound like this attack was of a far more sinister kind.

The trip to Auradon hospital was a frustrating one, given that they left the city earlier to head back to Auradon prep. Everyone was mostly silent while they were sitting in the back of the royal limousine. Evie and Jane had fearful, almost manic looks on their faces. Mal genuinely felt for them. Ben was by her side, but both Carlos and Doug were still at Auradon prep when the attack occurred. Both of them had already left messages telling the girls that they were fine, but this had hardly calmed either of them. Mal knew that if it had been Ben who would have been present at the attack, she would feel equally as bad.

Speaking of Ben, he had been extraordinarily silent the entire trip. He had a shocked, angry but most of all determined look on his face. Mal hadn't seen him this angry since he had announced a perimeter to be set around the isle when she was still in the hospital. She knew better than to try and get him out of this trance, and instead kept a tight hold on his hand, a sign of support and understanding.

Archer was the only one who was talking, mainly putting out theories about who he thought to be responsible for the attack. He kept rambling on, citing a number of names. The two who came up most often were Solomon and Uma, and Mal couldn't help but agree with him on that matter. The timing was a bit too perfect for it to be anyone else. It had been over two months since her own harrowing escape from the clutches of these two, during which they had found out about Solomon's apparent plans to use the black cauldron against Auradon. Given that fact, it would be an immense surprise to Mal if anyone but them had been responsible for this attack.

If they actually had been responsible for this attack, this would actually be even more worrying than anything else.

The last Mal had seen or heard from either Solomon or Uma, they had been safely locked away on the isle of the lost, not only guarded by the ever-present magical barrier, but also by Ben's newly formed perimeter of Auradonian ships.

If they had been responsible for the attack, how had they done it? How had they escaped the isle without anyone on the mainland finding out? According to Freddie, Solomon had said that he was able to pass through the barrier. If that was true, he had still been able to pass by the barricade undetected, which of itself was a panic-inducing thought.

Mal could not think of any way that Uma could have managed to escape the isle. She did not have the ability to pass through the barrier or possessed any other away of escaping as far as she knew. That fact somehow calmed Mal. Literally the last thing she wanted was for Uma to be back on Auradonian shores, she would even take Solomon over her.

When the group eventually arrived at the hospital, it took all but ten seconds before they had all rushed through the doors. What they found inside wasn't pretty.

Everywhere they looked, they saw injured or shocked Auradonian students being helped by hospital personnel. From what Mal could see, no one was badly injured. The most she saw were scratches, bruises and a few small cuts. Everyone however, both the injured and the rest, still had shards and splinters of colored glass all over them. The ground was similarly strewn with shards of glass, some large and some small, and some, to Mal's horror, covered in blood.

Mal and Ben walked in front of the others as they headed further into the hospital. Among the dozens of students, Mal did not see a particularly familiar face just yet. This could have two meaning, either they weren't injured, or they were so badly injured they had been moved to a whole other part of the hospital. After scanning the entire bottom floor, the group headed upstairs in search of their friends.

The first familiar face Mal saw was Doug standing at the end of a long hallway.

"Doug!" Evie shrieked as she pushed Mal aside and sprinted towards her boyfriend. Doug managed to catch her with some trouble, almost getting slammed off his feet. They fiercely hugged each other and whispered some reassuring words in each other's ears as Ben, Mal, Archer and Jane came closer.

"Thank god you are all alright." Doug said once he saw the others. "We heard nothing. We all feared the worst."

"Doug, what happened exactly? We haven't heard anything concrete." Ben questioned.

"Auradon prep was attacked." Doug answered to the point.

"Yeah, we know that. But how exactly?" Mal followed up.

Doug gave panicked looks to Ben, Mal and Archer. "We don't know for sure. As far as I know, no one actually saw who did it. All I know is that everything was fine one moment, and then every window at Auradon prep suddenly exploded."

"Exploded?" Archer asked. "You mean someone broke all windows?"

"No, they literally exploded. There was a loud, booming sound and then all windows broke, and the shards were suddenly flying around everywhere. I have never seen anything like it." Doug explained.

"All windows?" Ben asked.

Doug nodded. "All. Front and back, inside and out, every window was broken. You won't find a solid piece of glass anywhere near the school."

"Where are the others?" Jane suddenly asked. "Is anyone…"

"Everyone is fine." Doug answered before Jane could finish her question. "Well, no one died at least."

"What do you mean?" Archer asked sharply. "What did happen?"

"Well, ehm…" Doug stuttered. "We didn't all… Just come in and see for yourself." He finished before ushering the others to the last door in the hallway.

The group entered a fairly large room, much bigger than the one Mal stayed in when she was recovering in the hospital. There were four beds in the room, all of which were currently filled.

One her right, Lonnie and Chad were laying in their beds, surrounded by Jay, Carlos, Freddie, Jordan and Audrey.

On her left, the beds were currently being used by Ruby and Herkie. They were surrounded by Lancelot, Aden, Royce, Alex, Anxelin and Arabella.

"Carlos!" Jane exclaimed, and she ran towards her boyfriend who greeted her with open arms.

The others also walked further into the room, surveying what they saw before them.

"Archer." Lancelot stated as he walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's good to see you're alright, you as well." He continued, looking at Ben and Mal.

"Is everything okay?" Jay asked as he approached them.

"We're fine, we came as soon as we heard." Mal replied as she hugged him. "How's Lonnie?" Mal asked as she looked over at the first bed where Lonnie was currently laying.

"She's sleeping now, she'll be alright." Jay explained.

"What happened?" Ben asked.

"I was with her when the glass started flying. We were walking through a hallway and she shielded me with her own body. A large shard lodged itself in her side, she lost a lot of blood." Jay explained in a sad tone.

"Oh my god." Mal softly exclaimed as she walked over next to Lonnie.

"She'll make a complete recovery though, she's a fighter." Jay said lovingly as he sat down on the chair next to the bed.

"Did any of you see who might have caused all this?" Archer asked as he joined the company around Lonnie and Chad's beds.

Jay, Carlos, Freddie, Jordan and Audrey shook their heads.

"Nothing, it came out of the blue." Carlos answered.

"It was horrifying, everyone panicked, we couldn't really pay attention to anything else." Freddie said in a pleading tone.

"Nobody is blaming any of you. You were all fantastic. Thanks to your efforts, we didn't lose anyone today." Ben replied, the gratitude dripping from his voice.

A loud groan from the next bed alerted everyone. They all looked as Chad slowly moved around a bit on his bed, before going limp again.

"What happened to him?" Ben asked.

"He was walking down the stairs when the attack occurred." Audrey began. "I saw him fall down when the glass exploded. It's nothing too bad, just a few sprains and a mild concussion."

"Any news of the other students? How many are injured?" Ben went on.

Everyone gave each other doubtful looks.

"We're not sure, a lot though." Carlos began.

"The emergency services were fast, they arrived barely ten minutes after the attack. Everyone on the property was moved to the hospital. We were taken away in droves." Doug continued.

"We've mostly stayed in this room, after we found out where everyone was being moved to." Jordan joined in.

Ben nodded. "I understand completely. This whole thing is just one big mess."

"Ben!" Someone shouted from the other side of the room.

Ben and Mal looked and saw Lancelot, Aden, Royce and Alex beckoning him.

"Excuse me." Ben said to the people around Lonnie and Chad before heading to the others.

"Hey man, you okay?" Aden asked.

"I have been better, but given the circumstances things could have been much worse." Ben answered.

"They're still pretty bad though." Royce said with a look at Ruby, who was sleeping just like Lonnie.

"What happened to her?" Mal asked.

"We were in her room, talking, when the glass shattered. One piece made a large cut in the side of her head, I just carried her out after that."

"Will she be alright?" Ben asked.

Both Royce and Aden nodded.

"She'll make a full recovery, but she won't be glad when she finds out some of her hair has been cut." Aden said.

"What about Herkie?" Ben followed up with a look at the final bed, where Alex's younger brother was sleeping.

"The glass stabbed him in the leg and arm, he'll have to take it a bit easy, but he'll be fine, I'm sure of it." Alex answered with a reassuring nod.

"Thank god." Mal mumbled.

"Ben." Lancelot began. "Do you have any leads? Who could have done this?"

Archer answered before Ben could open his mouth. "We discussed it, but we can't be sure. None of you saw anything suspicious near the school and we haven't had a chance to investigate the crime scene yet. Still, this does seem like the work of that Solomon."

The other members of the righteous sons stared at Archer slightly doubtfully.

"How could he have done this? The last time we saw him was on the isle, do you suggest that he bypassed the perimeter?" Lancelot questioned.

Archer shrugged. "We don't know his abilities, it could be that he found a way. We still need to investigate further before making definite assumptions though."

The others mumbled in agreement.

"We will have to examine the school, look around the entire property for clues. Maybe whoever did this left something that could be traced back." Ben proposed.

"I will go with you. If any magic was used for the attack, I might be able to sense it." Lance said.

"I will join as well, I need to see this first hand before they start cleaning up." Archer stated.

"Good, how about you?" Ben asked as he directed himself at Mal.

Mal looked over at her friends, who were all softly conversing with one another and looked pretty downbeat. "I'll come along, I want to know who did this."

Ben softly grabbed her by the shoulder and the two removed themselves a bit from the others. Archer and Lancelot respectfully kept their distance.

"You don't have to come." Ben softly said. "I'd perfectly understand if you want to take things easy…"

"No, Ben. I want to do this, and I don't care if Solomon or Uma or Harry Hook may have anything to do with it. Soon this will be my kingdom as well." Mal replied slightly rebelliously.

A hint of smile briefly appeared on Ben's face. "Okay, as long as you don't get hurt I'll be alright."

Mal grabbed Ben's hand. "You can't always protect me, Ben."

"I can damn well try!" Ben replied slightly louder.

Mal hugged Ben and placed her head on his shoulder. "I believe you."

Someone coughed from behind them. Ben and Mal let go of each other to see Archer and Lancelot standing behind them looking slightly embarrassed.

"You all set?" Archer asked.

"We're good, let's go." Ben replied.

"Guys…" Mal began as she headed back over to the group around Lonnie and Chad.

"What?" Carlos asked.

"Ben, Archer, Lance and I are heading over to Auradon prep to see if we can find any leads." Mal said.

"You're leaving already?" Evie questioned, sounding slightly perplexed.

"Just to investigate, we'll be back before you know it." Mal tried to reassure her.

Evie nodded. "I understand, and good luck."

"Thanks, keep us posted about Lonnie and Chad, send us a message when they wake up." Mal replied.

"Will do." Jay said.

Ben, Archer and Lancelot also said their goodbyes to both groups before heading out the door with Mal.

"What do you think we'll find?" Archer asked the others.

"It will be hard to search for clues, the place was a mess when we left." Lancelot answered.

"Was it that bad?" Mal asked.

Lancelot sighed. "Yep, there was glass everywhere, and I mean everywhere. The building looked like something out of an apocalypse movie, totally busted. Furthermore, there were literally hundreds of people who walked along the vacancies after the attack, it will be difficult to differentiate one trail from another."

"Well, the fact that no one saw who did this already made me think of some things." Mal said.

"Well please share them." Archer replied as they stopped in front of the elevator.

"Well, if we are dealing with Solomon or Uma here, chances are they might have used an invisibility spell." Mal proposed.

"That came into my mind as well." Lancelot added with a nod. "It could also be that this was done using a spell from a distance. Maybe whoever did this never even set foot on the property."

"Are we certain it's a spell?" Ben asked as everyone got into the elevator.

"Well, how else do you explain every window in Auradon prep, both inside and out, to spontaneously combust?" Lancelot questioned.

"Well, I wouldn't know a thing. I was hoping maybe you could come up with some theories." Ben admitted with a look at Mal and Lancelot.

Both of them shrugged. "I can't really think of anything else either." Mal replied.

"We are dealing with an enemy with magical abilities here, Ben." Lancelot said with certainty.

The four of them exited the elevator at ground level. The front hall was far emptier than when they had arrived. Only a few students were left, some joined by friends or family, receiving the last instructions from hospital personnel. Most students had a band aid here and there or had an arm in a sling, but most of the shock seemed to have worn off. Ben and Mal were happily greeted as they moved towards the exit, and they in turn tried to sound as nonchalant as possible.

As they neared the exit, Mal focused on the large screen hanging over the doors of the hospital. This screen normally portrayed the current time, temperature and weather conditions, often interrupted by a small general message for the hospital.

A similar screen had hung on the opposite end of the hallway where Mal had stayed when she had recovered from her injuries. Whenever she was alone at that time, she had often looked at that screen, so much so that she had pretty much remembered every individual message that would get played from time to time.

Right now, a message was played that Mal knew all too well. One with a nurse explaining how one of the machines which had also been at Mal's bedside worked. Mal didn't know for who these messages were actually meant. Surely the hospital staff knew how to operate these machines, and what could the messages possibly be of use to any of the patients, as if they would tinker with them.

Right as the nurse pointed at a specific display on the machine, the image on the screen suddenly changed to something very different.

Mal was shocked as she stared at the screen, where the nurse was now once again explaining the finer details of the machine. Did she just actually see what she thought that she saw?

"Ben?" Mal asked in a soft tone.

"Hmm?" Ben replied, looking at Mal questioningly.

"I just saw something, on the screen." Mal said as she pointed up at the screen.

Ben, Archer and Lancelot all looked up at the screen, where the nurse was still explaining how the machine worked.

"What is it? It's just one of those educational videos, right?" Archer questioned, sounding unsure.

"It was there for just one second, like interference or something." Mal said.

Ben, Archer and Lancelot all raised their eyebrows.

"What exactly did you see?" Lancelot asked.

"Just a flash, I thought it looked like…" Mal began before the screen suddenly changed again and everyone in the room gasped.

Solomon appeared on the screen. The image was fuzzy and of low quality, but it was undoubtedly him. Mal barely had time to process what was happening before Solomon started speaking, his voice slightly effected by the low-quality audio.

"People of Auradon…" The Solomon on screen began, "You do not know me, but you will very soon. My name is Solomon, I am the son of the Horned King, one of your country's most feared ever villains. For years, me and my people have been locked away, shunned by your 'perfect' society, always hoping that one of you 'good guys' would have the decency to come to our aid. Sadly, this was all in vain. You kept living your perfect lives, never even sparing a thought for those at the bottom of the shoe that is your rule. Know that it is this ignorance and inconsideration which will be your downfall. Had you actually spent any time surveying those you imprisoned, you might have saved yourselves, sadly you are too late. I have broken through the barrier with others, we have lived in Auradon under your noses and you knew nothing of it. We have come here with one goal, to destroy you! The little stunt I pulled at your school today is but a taste of the terror I will unleash upon your perfect little world. Yes, that was me. And you can be certain that the next time something horrible will happen, I will have had a hand in it as well. We will not stop until we have reached our goal, which will coincide with your annihilation. But fear not, you do not have to look far for someone to blame, simply look at you own rulers. King Ben, I am now directly addressing you…"

Mal gave Ben a fearful look, but Ben just looked at the screen with pent-up rage and his fists balled.

"You know what has been happening on the isle. I am certain that your little friends told you all about me and my plans after they successfully saved your fiancé. Oh, congratulations on the engagement by the way, hearing this news was quite 'exhilarating'." Solomon spoke with a sarcastic shutter of excitement. "Anyways, you must have known what we were planning, so why not do anything about it. That pesky perimeter you put around the isle did not prove to be that much of a challenge if I'm being honest. You instead spent your time planning weddings. All of this, the fear and suffering you will put your people through, will be on you. You were too insolent, too weak-minded to view me as a legitimate threat, so know this… I will come for you, your family, your friends and your little bride-to-be. I invite you to oppose me, I would welcome it to be honest, but you are too late. Try your best though, to watch you fail at saving what you love most will be of so much amusement to me."

Solomon paused for a second, giving Mal and Ben a short opportunity to look at each other again. Ben's eyes were hollow, filled with fear and guilt. Mal wanted to reassure him, that everything would be alright, that everything was not his fault, but Solomon's continued speech interrupted her.

"And to the inhabitants of Auradon, I cannot imagine what you are going through. Is it fear? Doubt? Well, you'd be correct in feeling that way. I will come to burn your houses! I will come to take away that which you love! I will come to cover the lands you inhabit with ash! Your king cannot protect you. Your armies cannot protect you. You can turn to the gods for all I care but it won't matter, they will be of no use. I am here now! I am here with a purpose and I cannot be stopped. Again, I will urge you to try to oppose me, only for you to find out how hopeless of a cause it is. Until that time, don't forget to look over your shoulder, for I might just be lurking in the shadows. And Ben…"

Ben straightened up when he was addressed again.

"…Come and get me, I will be waiting." Solomon finished. The screen crashed for a second, and then the hospital messages started playing again.

Mal looked back at Ben, Archer and Lancelot, all of whom had similar looks of anger on their faces.

"Ben?" Archer said.

"Hmm?" Ben answered, still staring at the screen.

"We're at war now." Archer replied.


	16. Chapter 16: Response

Chapter 16: Response

"People! People! Please calm down!" Ben yelled at the top of his lungs at the mob gathered before him.

Following Solomon's announcement, which had been broadcasted throughout the kingdom, Ben and his parents had called a press conference to address the looming threat. Besides the press, a large portion of the general public had also flocked to the conference, all to voice their displeasure with Ben's way of running the kingdom.

Mal knew that Ben was hardly to blame for all this, but she could imagine the fear of the people. Having a lunatic announce nationwide that he would destroy everything they held dear was not something that occurred a lot in Auradon. Furthermore, Solomon had already backed up his threat by blowing up Auradon prep, so everyone knew he was serious. The incident at the school had already been widely publicized on Auradonian news networks. The school was now in the midst of its restoration, with Fairy Godmother having been allowed to use her magical abilities for this rare occasion to speed up the process. Due to the fact that Auradon prep had been reduced to a construction site, the press conference had been moved to Beast Castle.

Right after Solomon's threat, Ben's parents had sought contact with him, both to ask him to validate the message and to inquire about what his response would be.

To Mal's shock, Ben didn't deny anything about the message to be false, even the part about everything being his fault. His demeanor had completely changed into a man who had visibly been knocked down but was determined to get back up again. There was a fierceness in his eyes, a look of pure grit which Mal had managed to decipher as both hatred for the people who had wronged him, disappointment in his own leadership and the pure will to make everything right at whatever cost.

In any case, the cheerful, somewhat perpetually dreamy Ben Mal had spent the last couple of weeks planning a wedding with had disappeared.

Mal felt an incredible surge of anger every time she thought about Solomon. Not only had he injured some of her friends and attacked the place most dear to her, he had also managed to strip away all the happiness Ben had built up over this period of time in one go.

Seeing Ben like this, instead of his usual selfless, happy and endearing way, only fueled her resentment towards those she hated and the determinism to make them pay for what they did.

Before anything regarding that matter could be done however, both Ben and Mal would first have to deal with their own people.

The mob in front of them was around 400 large. About a hundred of these were paparazzi, all eager to capture this moment of king Ben being humbled. There was also a large portion of camera crews at the front of the mob, their heavy cameras all focused on the small podium where Ben and Mal currently stood behind individual microphones. Adam, Belle, Lumière, Archer and Lancelot stood behind them. The rest of the people were from the general public, mostly originating from Auradon City. These were the loudest of the bunch, with cries of either panic, confusion or anger erupting from the large crowd.

Despite having already gone through a tiring day, Ben was determined to address his people about the matter before taking any further steps.

"People!" Ben continued. "I have called for this press conference to address the recent threat made against the kingdom by a dangerous individual. I shall recite an official statement, made by the crown, before allowing each and any of you to ask questions. I want to ask you to please be patient."

The yelling amongst the public quickly quieted down and was instead replaced by a soft, but consistent murmuring.

"Thank you." Ben spoke into the microphone, the gratitude genuinely apparent in his voice.

"Now…" He continued. "The message we are addressing right now has been broadcasted throughout the kingdom and my guess is that you have all seen it."

A soft and unpleasant murmuring was heard among many of the audience members.

"Nevertheless, I shall give a short recap." Ben continued. "The video contained a declaration of war, made by someone who has been positively identified as Solomon, the son of the Horned King. Given the facts that this message was actually broadcasted throughout the mainland and the recent attack on Auradon prep, we do believe that this individual has managed to break through the barrier surrounding the Isle of the Lost. Before you ask, no, we do not have any intel that could tell us how the individual managed to do this. The individual did also mention that he is joined by others from the isle, we do not yet have any concrete evidence who these accomplices might be, or how many there are. As for the current location of the individual and his accomplices, we are looking into it with everything we've got right now. The signal of the message has been traced back to Charmington, and though we have no way of precisely pinpointing what device was used to send out the video, we do assume that whatever place they're hiding is somewhere near this area. Now, remember that this was a simple message to cause panic and spread fear. We now know what enemy we are dealing with and what his plans are. This individual might have been too overconfident in sending us this message, because I promise you that we will try our hardest to apprehend our enemy and, should we suffer another attack, we will retaliate in full force."

A few approving grunts were heard here and there when Ben made that statement.

"Alright…" Ben followed up. "Now that that's out of the way, I am open to any questions you might like to ask. I do request that this happens in an orderly fashion, through the microphone set up here at the front."

A lot of people immediately scrambled forward, but some Auradonian guards who were tasked with keeping the order managed to coax everyone into forming a line. The first person at the mic was a large and chubby man with a thick, red beard and a bald head.

"Yes, sir?" Ben implied.

"Ehm, your majesty…" The man began with a small cough. "How did this happen? I mean, we were all lead to believe that the barrier was supposed to protect us from whatever lives on that dreaded isle."

Mal felt a knot in her stomach when the man spoke of the isle this way. Sure, it was the place were all villains had been stashed away, but as she and many others had tried to prove, good things came from there as well.

"Well, sir, we do not have any specifics yet, simply due to the fact we have not been able to investigate much thus far. We do have reason to believe that this was a plan a long time in the making, perhaps even relatable to Maleficent's break-out last year." Ben answered the question.

"How would those two events be related?" The man continued.

"Well, the time of Maleficent's escape was the only moment in a very long time when the barrier was deactivated. Simply because of this fact, we have reason to believe they may have something to do with each other. Next question, please!" Ben ordered.

The bearded man grumpily walked off the small platform and another man, this one short with blond hair and glasses, moved forward.

"Yes?" Ben questioned.

"Your majesty, do you truly have no idea how this individual managed to break through the barrier?" The man asked.

"No, as previously mentioned, we can only deliver theories right now." Ben answered.

"Would you be able to please share these theories?" The man continued. "We the public would like to know."

The mob behind the man muttered approvingly.

"Ehm, yes, I believe we can. There is one theory, also related to intel we received relatively recently, that the aforementioned individual possesses forms of magic that have until recently been unknown to us. This form of magic could have allowed the individual to pass through the barrier. Another theory is that there was an accomplice already in Auradon, but we have absolutely no proof of that yet." Ben summarized.

"What is this intel? How could you have already known about this and not done anything?" The man complained.

Before any loud complaints could be voiced by the citizens, Ben hastily answered the question.

"This intel was gathered during a trip to the isle by some of our students, I shall not go more in depth on that subject matter, and for the record, I did set up a perimeter around the isle as a safety measure." Ben retorted.

"And that just worked out fine, did it?" The man sarcastically asked.

"Thank you for your questions, next please." Ben replied.

The man blushed, but left the platform nonetheless. His place was taken by a slender woman with auburn hair.

"Ehm, your majesty?" The woman began.

"Yes?" Ben replied.

"Who exactly is this son of the Horned King, I wondered if…" The woman quickly looked over at Mal, "If lady Mal could shed some light on that."

Mal was petrified when she was addressed. Ben had reassured her in advance that most questions would definitely be for him. In this quick instance, where she felt Ben look in her direction, Mal feigned her composure however.

"Ehm, what would you like to know?" Mal asked politely.

"Ehm, did you know him? On the isle, I mean, what sort of a person was he? Is he really this dangerous?" The woman asked.

Mal felt herself go stiff at the question. Of course she knew who Solomon was back on the isle, and she knew what kind of person he was. Hers and Solomon's was a strained history to put it bluntly, with Uma often getting involved as well. In their younger years, all villain kids would still hang out together, but all of that had changed one fateful night when a large fight resulted in the villain kids splitting up into three gangs which had ruled over the isle up until Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay had been taken to Auradon. During these years, Mal, Solomon and Uma had clashed with each other constantly, often with disastrous results. Though Mal admitted to herself that she was far from innocent in all this, she knew that Solomon's was an entirely different level of evil and malice.

"Yes, I knew him." Mal answered the question. "But we weren't friends, far from it. He is a monster, with no capability of compassion, forgiveness or love. When he sets his mind on something, there is nothing on the world that can stop him from trying to reach his goal."

The crowd looked at her with withheld breath and big, fearful eyes when she spoke those words, and something inside her made her decided to try to reassure them.

"But he is also overconfident, quick-tempered and impatient. He is a dangerous individual, but he makes himself sound a little too important in that little message of his. We will find him, and we will stop him." Mal announced.

A plethora of the people in front of her applauded lightly, and when Mal looked over at Ben, she saw a proud smile on his face.

The woman seemed content with Mal's answer and left the platform, allowing a short man with a bushy mustache to take her place.

"Milady?" The man asked politely to Mal.

Mal was perplexed as she was addressed again, but quickly found her cool again. "Yes?"

"Ehm, to follow up on the last question, does this 'Solomon' possess magic of any kind? You wouldn't happen to know that, would you?" The man questioned.

Mal knew. "Ehm, yes. Yes, he possesses magic, inherited from his father."

A panicky murmuring erupted from the crowd, most of whom now looked at Mal with wide eyes.

"Can he transform himself into a dragon? Or something like that?" The man asked fearfully.

"I don't believe he can…" Mal began, "I am not entirely sure what his magical abilities are, I just know that he has them. Under the barrier we were never able to use any magic."

The man wanted to speak up again, but Ben interfered. "Ehm, next question please!"

The mustached man left the platform and a skinnier, bald man took his place.

"Ehm, yes, your majesty?" The man began.

"Please speak." Ben requested.

"Certainly, your grace. Ehm, you said yourself, this Solomon claimed to have brought others with him. Do you have any clue who these are, or how many there are?" The man asked.

Ben seemed relatively perplexed at this question. "I believe I already made clear that we do not have any resolute answers to those questions yet, only theories, which I will be happy to share. As to with how many there are, we have absolutely no idea, but we have certain guesses as to who might be accomplices in this plan."

A soft whispering once again arose among the audience members, but Ben spoke right through these.

"Uma, daughter of Ursula, is a prime suspect, having already escaped the isle once and holding a particular grudge against both me and my betrothed." Ben said with a short look at Mal. "With her, her two main crew members are also suspected to have joined, these are Harry Hook, son of Captain Hook, and Gil, son of Gaston. Known accomplices of the son of the Horned King include; Zevon, son of Yzma, Maddy, granddaughter of Madame Mim and Ginny Gothel, daughter of Mother Gothel. These are only suspects though, no definite sightings have been made."

The man appeared a bit disturbed by Ben's answer, but moved away from the platform nonetheless after making a short bow to both him and Mal.

A large woman, with long, black hair eagerly stepped onto the platform and grabbed hold of the microphone.

"Your majesty, let me get straight to the point! How do we know none of the villain offspring you have thus far brought over from the isle have helped the others escape?" The woman asked bluntly.

Both Ben and Mal gasped at this woman's blatant disrespect and at the apparently enthusiastic response she got from the rest of the audience.

Mal wanted to respond but Ben beat her to the punch.

"I understand your concern, but trust me when I say none of the people brought over from the isle had anything to do with this!" He retorted with authority.

"But how can you…" The woman began, before being interrupted by Ben.

"How do I know for certain!? Because I know them! If any of you would take the time to get to know your fellow Auradon inhabitant, we could all leave this blatant and unjust stereotyping in the past. If anything, the villain kids have even more to fear from this enemy than any of you!" Ben quickly looked over at Mal. "Mal and Freddie Facilier both briefly returned to the isle a short while ago and were both relentlessly harassed. Every villain kid currently in Auradon is seen as an outcast and a traitor by those still on the isle. They have done nothing but good since they arrived here, and we owe it to them to protect them as much as we would anyone else."

Mal felt a lump in her throat when hearing Ben's words and was glad to see that both the woman on the platform and most of the audience had been successfully silenced.

"I apologize, your majesty." The woman said. "I meant no offense."

After she left, she was quickly replaced by a tall, dark-haired man. Before the man could speak, Ben intervened.

"Excuse me, but if your question has anything to do with why Mal and Freddie Facilier had traveled to the isle, I can't be of any service to you."

The man on the platform opened his mouth, closed it again, and then chose to step off the platform.

A tall woman with short, blonde hair then appeared on the platform.

"Your majesty, have you already taken any action in response to the threat? And not some vague promises, what are some actual plans?" The woman said promptly and relatively rude.

Ben seemed perplexed at the woman's tone as well, but remained as calm as ever.

"Of course, milady. In the short period of time since the message was broadcasted, me and my advisors have already made some decisions regarding our response. The first is that many soldiers who previously overlooked the perimeter around the isle of the lost will now be moved inland to aid in the search for our enemies, who were actually the people they were supposed to guard in the first place." Ben announced with a small amount of annoyance.

To Mal, this hint of annoyance did not go unnoticed. Before the press conference was called, Ben and Archer had traveled to the overseers of the perimeter to confront them about Solomon's message.

The overseers had been baffled that anything had slipped past them, with some even denying the authenticity of the message. As support for their claim, they consulted live footage that was being taken of the isle, on which three people resembling Solomon, Uma and Harry Hook were clearly visible.

On look from Ben however proved how much the overseers had slacked off in their job to overlook the isle. Ben immediately saw that these three people were not in fact Solomon, Uma and Harry Hook, but three people made to look exactly like them, most likely with the exact purpose to mislead the overseers.

Following this, Ben concluded that Uma and Harry Hook would probably have joined Solomon in his travel to the mainland, and since the actual job of the overseers had been to make sure that these people would stay on the isle, Ben ordered most of the troops to head back inland and aid in the search and capture of Solomon and his associates.

This did mean that the isle would become less guarded than it used to be, but Mal found it hard to argue with Ben's reasoning that everyone they didn't want in Auradon was probably here already anyway.

"These soldiers will form search parties which will be active until the culprits are brought into custody. Besides search parties, a response team will also be formed, able to quickly counter any advances made by our enemy. These are the main actions I have undertaken thus far." Ben further explained.

"Who will lead this response team?" The woman asked.

Ben was silent for a while, since this was something they hadn't discussed yet. Auradon had many talented commanders within its army, Archer among them, but Ben had yet to officially appoint one as the commander of the response team.

"I will lead them myself." Ben suddenly declared.

Mal's head whipped around as she looked at Ben, who looked nervous but determined as his eyes went over the now enthusiastic crowd.

Had Ben lost his mind? He had said nothing about possibly leading an army himself, nor had he asked Mal about her opinion on the matter. Mal wanted Ben to stay as far away from the front lines as possible! It didn't matter to her how confident Ben was in victory, she couldn't help but feel afraid that something might happen to him. Solomon was dangerous enough on his own, but if Uma, Harry Hook and possibly other had joined him as well this quest would become even more threatening.

Of course Mal wanted to confront them as well, as soon as possible even. But leading a response team like this was definitely not the way Mal imagined it. In her opinion, if they were to take on Solomon, it would have to be on their own accord, not as a response to an attack. They would have to set the stage. They would have to take advantage of their home turf.

Mal wanted to speak to Ben immediately, but the shouted questions from the audience prevented her from making herself hearable to him.

The guards tried their best to keep everything under control, but everyone was now shouting and yelling with no regard to any of the previously established order.

Ben chose this time to simply step away from his microphone and walk back towards Beast Castle. Mal hastily followed him, not paying the mob outside any mind. When the two stepped through the heavy doors, they were followed by Ben's parents, Archer and Lancelot.

"Ben!?" Mal questioned. "Did you ever intend to inform me about your decision?"

Ben gave Mal a distressed look. "I actually just decided it. I… It just feels like something I have to do."

"It's too dangerous, Ben! This is exactly what Solomon wants! Everything he said was to provoke you, please don't play into his hand!" Mal pleaded.

"I agree with Mal." Belle quickly said. "Sweetie, let your officers handle this."

Ben looked at his mother. "Mother, I believe now is the time for me to step up. I want to show the people that I am someone they can rely on and I want to show our enemies I am someone they should fear."

"There are other ways to do that, better ways!" Mal pretty much shouted as she stared at everyone else in the room hoping for support. "Archer, surely you think this is madness as well?"

Archer looked Mal in the eye and bit his lip. "Actually, I think it's a great idea."

"What!?" Both Belle and Mal exclaimed.

"Hear me out." Archer requested. "Having our king lead us into battle will be a great moral boost for more soldiers, not to mention that it will convince the people that Ben is actually trying his all to end the war. He is no baby anymore, he can fight with some of the best out there."

"It will also send a message to our enemy." Lancelot added. "Ben hereby shows that he will not sit idly by, he will instead exert dominance."

"Not to mention that it is tradition for a king to lead his own army, that's what I did." Beast continued.

"Adam!" Belle exclaimed. "Are you actually approving that our son ride out into war!?"

"I wish there was an alternative, of course I do, but this is a good decision, dear. And it won't be like we'll send him out alone, he'll have an army at his back, other commanders." Beast followed up.

"I will not let your son come to harm." Archer declared. "I already made an oath on this. At least, if you plan on including me in the army?" He asked with a look at Ben.

"Of course." Ben reassured him, and the two grinned softly.

"Ben, no! You have no idea what they're capable of." Mal said, trying to persuade Ben.

Ben looked at Mal. "I have every idea what they're capable of. I saw you when you were brought back from the isle, I never left your side. The bruises and the blood were a pretty good reminder of their evildoings."

"Right, but Ben, if we go out like this we risk running right into their trap. And we cannot lose you, the kingdom can't lose you." Mal said.

"Woah, woah. We? What do you mean when we go out like this?" Ben questioned.

Mal was a bit perplexed. "W-when we go out to meet them, as the response team you so desperately want to lead."

"Mal…" Ben began. "D-did you actually believe you were coming along?"

This completely shocked Mal into silence, as she simply stared at Ben with an open mouth.

"Ehm, we will leave you two to it for now." Archer softly said as he head out the door first, apparently eager to escape the conversation.

Lancelot hurried after his friend, glancing at Ben and Mal uneasily.

Lumière bowed stiffly before heading into the castle, his steps a bit faster than usual.

Belle and Adam looked at each other, then at Ben and Mal, and then they followed Lumière into the castle. The sound of the door closing behind them boomed like a cannon shot.

"You didn't plan on bringing me along?" Mal asked with an icy undertone.

Ben now seemed incredibly uneasy. "Well, no Mal. You must understand."

"I don't!" Mal fiercely replied. "I was under the impression that we were supposed to do everything together from now on, or was that engagement just a bunch of nonsense?"

"Of course not! How can you say that!?" Ben retorted.

"Then why do you not plan to bring me along when your life could be in danger!?" Mal ranted.

"Because I don't want your life to be in danger as well! Not again!" Ben replied loudly.

"This is still about the isle, isn't it?" Mal asked as she crossed her arms.

"Of course it's still about the isle!" Ben yelled. "Mal, you were half dead when they brought you back! Do you actually believe I will risk letting anything like that ever happen to you again?"

"I can decide on my own whether or not I want to do something, Ben!" Mal retorted.

"Not in this case." Ben insisted. "I am king, and I decide who joins the fighting."

Mal was flabbergasted. "Are you really playing the 'king-card' right now?"

"If it keeps you out of harm's way, then yes!" Ben responded.

Mal stepped closer to Ben. "And what if I don't give a damn about what you declare?"

"Then I will make sure that you stay safe and away from the fighting, even if I have to use force!" Ben warned.

Mal scoffed. "So, you would risk hurting me if it meant that others wouldn't hurt me?"

"I will never hurt you." Ben said, his voice suddenly soft and tender again. "I just want you safe. Mal, I don't know how I could ever live with myself if I allowed you to get hurt again."

Mal temporarily felt some sympathy brew inside herself again. "But Ben, that's exactly why I don't want you to go. How do you think I'd feel if something happened to you?"

Ben seemed in conflict with himself again. "But that's the thing, Mal, I have no choice. I have a duty to these people to keep them safe. I want them to look at me and feel like they have someone to rely on."

Mal felt the anger build up inside her again. "But I am to be your queen! I will share your responsibilities!"

"You are not queen yet!" Ben shouted.

Mal was once again shocked into silence by Ben's words. For a few seconds, the two simply stared at each other, Mal with tears of anger springing into her eyes and Ben breathing heavily.

"Mal…" Ben began, his voice trembling with apparent regret. "I-I am so sorry, I didn't mean that…"

"Is this how you feel about us?" Mal asked, her voice almost trembling. "Am I just supposed to let you command me?"

"Of course not!" Ben tried to reassure her. "Mal, I would never do anything like that to you."

"Then let me come with you!" Mal pleaded as she stepped closer to Ben and grabbed his hands. "Let me be with you."

Ben softly squeezed Mal's hands. "No, not this time, Mal. You can't change my mind on this one."

Mal tried to angrily pull her hands away from Ben, but he held onto them.

"Let me go, Ben!" Mal grunted.

"I need you to understand, Mal." Ben replied.

"Oh, I understand just fine. You don't respect me enough to let me come with you!" Mal retorted as she kept pulling on Ben's hands.

"You know damn well that that's not the case!" Ben almost yelled as he kept a hold of Mal's hands. "Mal, I respect you more than any person alive! I love you more than anyone else! I don't want you to get hurt, ever again!"

"But you don't respect me when my choice is to be with you!?" Mal responded.

"When your choice means that you're endangering yourself, then no! For this once, I have to really put my foot down." Ben yelled.

"But Ben…" Mal began.

"NO, MAL! Not this time! I have made my decision! I am leading my army and you will not be a part of this." Ben interrupted her.

Mal's face scrunched up in anger. "I hate it when you order me around like this."

Ben hung his head. "Mal, please understand that I only want what's best for you."

Despite herself, Mal felt her anger fade away. Of course she understood, she basically wanted the same thing for Ben. If she could have a choice, she would rather not see him go as well. She had already faced Uma and Harry Hook once, without Ben even knowing no less, and had barely made it out alive. Thinking back on that hurt Mal's heart, she couldn't even begin to imagine what terrors Ben must have gone through.

"I understand, of course I understand." Mal softly said. "But I also want to look out for you, I want you to be safe."

"I will be safe, I promise. I have an army at my back, and Archer and the righteous sons will be there. Mal, I will be fine." Ben tried to reassure her.

"You better be." Mal began, "Or I will do something a whole lot worse than those others."

"So, are you okay? With everything I mean?" Ben hesitantly asked.

"No, far from it." Mal replied, "But I understand. You should know though that I won't let this slide."

Ben smirked slightly and softly stroked Mal's cheek. "That's good enough for now."

"So, what now?" Mal asked.

"We wait." Ben explained. "We have teams coaming the entire kingdom, either they find something or we'll have to wait for our enemies to show their face again."

"You wouldn't happen to know how long this will take?" Mal asked.

Ben shook his head. "Could be days, weeks, months."

Mal bit her lip. "What about the wedding?"

Ben's eyes widened. "The wedding…" He mumbled. "Mal, ehm, if you wouldn't mind…"

"You want to postpone the wedding?" Mal asked, her tone indifferent.

Ben hung his head but then softly nodded. "I don't want to, I really don't. It's just… With everything going on…"

"I get it." Mal replied. "I actually have other things on my mind as well at the moment."

"Just for now thought, when everything gets sorted out we'll get back on track." Ben hastily stated.

"Definitely." Mal replied with a soft forced smile.

"We will get married, eventually." Ben said.

"Of course…" Mal replied. "Eventually."


	17. Chapter 17: Wrath

**A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story thus far, and the ones who just started reading of course.**

 **Please leave a review if you feel like it, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 17: Wrath

"Please, Ben! Please don't go!" Mal begged as she followed Ben out the door of Beast Castle.

"I have to." Ben replied without looking back. He had a tough enough time following up on his decision as it was without Mal's tearful, pleading eyes shaking up his confidence even more. "I will come back, I gave you my word."

"You know damn well that's not good enough, Ben!" Mal shouted, making all the soldiers gathered on Beast Castle's front lawn look up in surprise.

"Can we not do this? Please?" Ben asked calmly.

"No! We are doing this!" Mal snapped.

"I believe I already made myself perfectly clear on this matter." Ben replied, finally looking back at Mal.

"I don't want you to go!" Mal almost screamed.

Ben felt his heart break as he looked at Mal, who appeared to be on the brink of bursting into tears. "I have to…" He began.

"No, you don't! Ben, just send someone else!" Mal pleaded.

"I gave my word to the public, Mal. I can't just betray their trust." Ben said.

Before Mal could reply, Archer stepped in behind Ben and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ben, we must go." He urged.

"I know." Ben told him, his eyes never leaving Mal's. "Just give me a sec, okay?"

Archer nodded, gave Mal and apologetic look and headed back down to the other soldiers.

"We must go, Mal. We can't miss this opportunity." Ben told his fiancé.

A tear rolled down Mal's cheek. "I can't just watch you leave like this."

"Sadly, you must. I am sorry for how this turned out, I truly am." Ben said as he hung his head.

"I can't lose you." Mal almost whispered.

They now basically stood eye to eye, and Ben softly placed both his hands around Mal's face. He was glad that she didn't try to shake them off, something she tended to do ever since he had announced he would be leading his army himself.

"I will be back. Whatever gets thrown my way, I will push through it if it means I will be able to see you again." Ben spoke.

Mal closed her eyes, which were still filled with tears and a sense of protest.

Ben leaned in and kissed her on the lips. It was a soft kiss, and he only felt Mal respond after a few seconds.

"I love you." Ben said once they separated.

Before Mal could respond, he already turned around and headed down towards his horse. He felt as though he wouldn't be able to go through with his mission if he had to look into Mal's beautiful green eyes for one more second.

"All set?" Archer asked as soon as Ben ascended his horse.

Ben just nodded as he spurred on his horse and preceded the rest of his troops as they headed towards their fight.

As soon as his horse started galloping, Ben could hear the last, desperate screams from Mal to try and stop him. Ignoring these had to be one of the hardest things Ben has ever had to do.

"How are you feeling?" Archer asked when he caught up to Ben and started riding next to him.

"Would you laugh if I told you I was scared?" Ben replied.

"Of course not, it's only understandable." Archer answered.

"Well, I am." Ben stated.

"I'll get you back to her, I promise." Archer said.

"For once, I actually hope you make good on your promises." Ben replied.

Ben was scared, of course he was. This was his first time actually leading people into a fight, and as king as well. He had already tried to reassure himself multiple times that all possible measures had been taken to make sure that he would return home safely. He and Archer had picked out twenty of their best men to accompany them and the righteous sons as the immediate response unit. A unit which would now taste action for the first time.

Not five minutes ago, word had gotten to them that a village near the edge of Auradon city was being attacked by Solomon and his crew. If Ben and his associates would hurry, they could still catch them in the act and hopefully apprehend them.

This attack was not the first. In the week following Solomon's threat, three villages had already been assaulted by his compatriots, along with several ambushes on Auradonian vehicles.

Miraculously, no one had been killed thus far and all the damage was mainly property wise, but Ben guessed that killing people had not been Solomon's intention. What these attacks did manage to achieve was creating panic. Houses and cars had been burned down and numerous people had been forced to seek refuge in Auradon city. Fear was spreading through the kingdom like wildfire, and some people living in small villages already chose to temporarily relocate themselves to Auradon city, simply to stay ahead of any impending attacks.

These attacks had not lasted longer than fifteen minutes, so if Ben and his troops wanted to intercept their enemy, they had to hurry. Luckily for them, the village currently under attack was not a five-minute ride away on horseback.

For the occasion, Ben was decked out in armor. He wore armor over his arms and legs and a breastplate with the Auradon crest imbedded in it adorned his chest. Underneath all this steel, he wore chainmail. His weaponry consisted of a shield adorned with the Auradon crest and a beautifully decorated sword which had once belonged to his father.

The rest of his troop of soldiers was similarly decked out, though the righteous sons all had different attire.

Archer wore his favorite hoodie over his chainmail. For the rest he only wore wrist guards and simple leg armor. For him, mobility was always a key component. Excalibur hung across his back.

Lancelot wore a brown cloak over his chainmail and held his staff in his right hand.

Aden and Royce wore their armor similar to Archer's, though they did both opted for using a breastplate. Aden wore a belt of knives around his waist and two machetes on his back while Royce had both his bow and quiver strung across his.

Alex was the only one of the troop who wore a helmet. Besides that, he wore a breastplate, wrist guards and leg armor, but no chainmail. His war hammer hung across his broad back.

The rest of the soldiers carried a mix of close and ranged combat weapons, with swords, spears, axes and bows all being present.

The ride to the village was silent, with every soldier having already been briefed and knowing precisely what to do.

Their cause in this case was to try to apprehend the villains and not use deadly force unless absolutely necessary. They did not yet know how many enemies they would be facing, or how well-armed they were.

On their way to the village, they suddenly ran into a group of people around fifteen large running into the opposite direction.

"Your majesty!" An elderly man shouted as soon as he saw Ben riding towards them. "We were attacked! T-they are still there! Monsters, your majesty! Monsters!"

"Is any of you injured?" Ben hurriedly asked.

"No, your majesty. B-but they ruined the village, throwing fire everywhere!" The man replied, the horror evident on his face.

"Throwing fire?" Ben mumbled, mostly to himself.

"Magic, your grace. Magic!" The man sputtered.

"Is there anyone left in the village?" Ben asked.

"We are not sure, your grace. Everyone just started running and…" The man began.

"It's okay, sir. We will look for people when we get there, you should all get somewhere safe." He then directed himself to his soldiers. "Two of you stay behind and make sure these people get to a safe place, a place they can rest. The rest of you, follow me!"

The soldiers cheered in unison and speeded after Ben, who had immediately started galloping with his horse.

Not two minutes later they neared the edge of the village. Ben could already see smoke on the horizon and sounds of crashing and explosions emerged.

Ben unsheathed his sword and he heard Archer do the same. The troop speeded into the village, the hooves of their horses loudly clacking on the cobbled streets. Everywhere Ben looked, he saw havoc. Houses, trees and vehicles were burning, multiple walls had been smashed and the ground was covered with splintered wood, broken glass and ash. There were no people in sight.

"We should dismount." Archer proposed. "We are an easy target if we remain like this."

Ben nodded and signaled to the other soldiers that they should dismount before he did so as well. They kept their formation as they headed further into the village.

Aside from the raging fires, everything appeared to be calm in the sense that they didn't see anyone.

Ben and Archer walked in front of the others, their swords raised. The other soldiers with close-combat weaponry formed a perimeter around them with the archers standing behind the frontline, arrows knocked.

"Lance, do you feel anything?" Archer whispered.

"Yes, magic was used here, not long ago." Lancelot replied.

"Can you locate them?" Archer continued.

"That would take time, and we don't have any." Lancelot answered.

"I suggest we split up." Archer proposed as soon as they neared an intersection. "The village isn't large, if anyone's in trouble, they can simply call."

Ben nodded and turned to his soldiers. "Okay, Lance and Alex, you lead six men right. Aden and Royce, six men left. Archer and I will take the center. We scope out the place, take any enemies we find prisoner and meet up back at the horses when we're done. If any of you get into trouble, simply yell and we'll come for you. Got it?"

The soldiers nodded and split up. Lancelot and Alex led their group right and Aden Royce led theirs left.

Ben led his own group of soldiers down the center path of the intersection. Ahead of them were mainly smoldering rests of what used to be houses, with only the foundations and some stone pillars still standing.

"Eyes on the windows and tight spaces, we don't want them ambushing us." Archer announced as he carefully placed one foot in front of the other.

But no ambush came. Everything appeared to be deserted, which didn't calm Ben in the slightest. If the villains had actually left the place, they would have seen them. All of this only pointed to the fact that they probably awaited them for an ambush somewhere.

A small cracking sound, which resembled the noise of someone stepping on glass, alerted every member of Ben's group. All eyes went to the only building that still stood relatively intact, which was the place the sound had come from. It was a two-story building possibly used to have community meetings in. It was easily large enough to fit over five hundred people.

"We should check it out." Ben said determined.

"It could be a trap." Archer pointed out.

"Which is why we will take things careful." Ben replied.

The corners of Archer's mouth shot up for a second before he nodded.

"Archer, you and I go in through the front." Ben said before directing himself to the others. "There are doors on each side of this building, two of you head to each one."

The soldiers nodded dutifully and headed off, eventually moving out of sight.

"You ready?" Archer asked, Excalibur raised.

Ben nodded as he raised his shield.

Silently, they stepped through the charred doors of the building into the main hallway. A large door at the end of the hallway probably gave way to a large common room, but smaller doors on either side of the hallway led to other parts of the building.

"We check them all, one by one." Archer whispered as he moved in front of Ben.

The floor was covered in broken glass and debris, which cracked under their feet once Ben and Archer stepped further into the hallway.

Ben tried to keep his breath under control as much as he could, but the nerves meant that he was now pretty much hyperventilating and sweating profusely.

Behind the door on the right side of the hallway was nothing more than a small office, which was abandoned.

The door on the left side of the hallway led to a broad staircase which headed upstairs.

Ben was about to suggest to first search the ground floor, when a soft, creaking sound was heard right above their heads, followed by something that sounded like groaning.

"Someone's up there." Ben whispered.

"It could be an enemy." Archer replied.

"It could also be someone in need of help." Ben retorted.

Archer begrudgingly nodded and gestured to Ben that he should go first. Ben thus placed his foot on the first step of the stairs, making a loud, creaking sound in the process.

"I guess we should hope our enemies are partially deaf as well." Archer mumbled.

Ben didn't reply, instead heading further up the stairs. Once upstairs, Ben and Archer saw that they had reached a large room that was used for storage, with tables, chairs and other items laying around in piles.

At the other end of the room, a large hole had been blown in the roof, which had in turn caused one roof beam to collapse and take multiple heavy bookcases with it. Underneath one of these bookcases, a figure weakly moved.

"There!" Ben said as he pointed at the fallen bookcase.

Archer followed Ben as they speeded towards the injured person, a young woman not much older than either Ben or Archer.

"Oh, please! Please help!" The woman cried.

"Where does it hurt?" Ben asked as he crouched down next to the woman.

"My leg… I think it's stuck underneath." The woman gasped as she grabbed at her leg with a pained expression.

"Ben, you lift the case and I'll pull her out." Archer suggested, and Ben nodded in response.

"Ready?" Ben asked as he put his hands underneath the bookcase.

Archer nodded and gently put his hands underneath the woman's arms.

"Pull!" Ben exclaimed as he lifted up the case with all his strength. He actually managed to create the necessary space to allow Archer to pull the woman from underneath the case. Once the coast was clear, Ben dropped the case, which fell back down with a loud crash.

"Is she alright?" Ben asked Archer, who had already begun inspecting the woman's leg.

"I think it's broken. We'll have to get her to a hospital, but I can already put a makeshift cast around it.

"Do that, and afterwards we'll…" Ben began, before a loud thumping sound at the other end of the room got his attention.

As they looked over at the place where the staircase reached the upper floor, both Ben and Archer saw a flash of red and heard the sound of a fluttering coat, followed by heavy footsteps descending the stairs.

"Ben! Don't!" Archer immediately yelled once Ben shot back upright.

Ben didn't answer as he immediately ran towards the other side of the room. Archer made a desperate attempt to grab Ben by the leg, but Ben had no trouble brushing his hand off.

"Ben!" Archer yelled again as Ben reached the stairs, partially slipped, and ran down the steps two at a time.

All rational thinking had temporarily been turned off inside Ben's mind and only a deep and angry determinism was still present. He was certain of what he had seen. There was only one person who would wear a coat in that color and who would just have any reason to be there at the moment.

The door into the hallway was already open when Ben reached the bottom of the stairs. Ben rushed through it, only to find the door leading outside just being slammed shut. Without hesitation, Ben followed in pursuit, bashing through the charred doors onto the ravaged street.

He desperately looked around, and quickly saw the person he was searching for making a run for it further down the street.

Ben quickly gave chase, being hindered only slightly by the armor he was wearing.

The culprit sprinted ahead, trying to get out of sight by turning into a passageway between two small, ruined houses. Ben didn't give up though, and ran faster than he ever had. When he turned around the corner, he stood face-to-face with the person he was pursuing.

Harry Hook had managed to run himself into a dead end between the two houses, and helplessly looked up at the wall in front of him. A wall he definitely wouldn't be able to climb.

"Harry Hook!" Ben yelled as he stepped into the passageway as well.

Harry turned around and managed to change his initially annoyed expression into a teasing smile.

"Your majesty." Hook greeted with a grin and a small, sarcastic bow. "Fancy seeing you here."

"You will pay for what you did." Ben grunted as he took a step in Hook's direction.

"What I did?" Hook replied, feigning doubt, "Well, I was just taking a stroll through the neighborhood."

"You hurt all these people!" Ben said, gritting his teeth.

"Actually, we just set their houses on fire, there's a big difference." Hook teased.

Ben raised his sword. "Don't play with me now!"

"Oh, I wouldn't dare." Harry replied.

"You won't escape punishment this time!" Ben told him.

"I just might, seeing as I'm not in cuffs yet." Harry countered.

"I have an entire troop at my back, you won't get away from this." Ben retorted.

"Hmm, but they're not here now, are they? And wouldn't you feel so much better if you brought me in yourself?" Harry asked in a provoking tone.

"I won't have to." Ben reassured him.

"But you want to, right? For everything I supposedly did." Harry mocked.

"It doesn't matter what I want, what matters is that you get brought to justice." Ben stated.

"You say that, but do you feel that way?" Harry went on.

"Shut up!" Ben fell out at him.

Harry raised his eyebrows, visibly amused. "You want to bring me in for everything I've done, now does that include what I did to your dear Mal?"

Ben went stiff as soon as Mal was mentioned. The arm that held his sword lowered back to the ground. Suddenly, he was extremely aware of the cold sweat on his back and the heavy, heaving breaths he was taking.

"You must have seen what we did to her, right? Surely you must. We had her begging for mercy near the end, the poor dear was just crying in despair. I have the pleasure of saying that it was mostly me. Well, me and my little friend." Harry said as he gently stroked his hook.

Ben didn't reply, only staring back at Harry with the most intense hate he ever felt.

"But I guess she made it out alright, since you decided to get married and all. I never thought I'd see the day. You wouldn't know, but back in the day she's have real attachment issues. I guess you really love each other, don't you? You must have been furious when I sent her back to you all bloodied." Harry continued.

Ben took another step, and Harry unsheathed his sword.

"You know we're coming for her as well, right? And I intend to finish what I started." Harry went on.

"Aaahh!" Ben yelled as he ran towards Harry, his sword raised above his head and temporarily forgetting all his training.

Harry had time to smirk as he parried Ben's wild swing and quickly lashed out with his hook, cutting nicely into Ben's cheek.

Ben cried out in pain and pushed his shield forward to force Harry back.

Harry dodged the shield but did lazily step back. "What's the matter, Ben? Don't you want to have your revenge?" Harry teased with a snicker.

Ben momentarily stepped back and felt the cut on his cheek. It was bleeding but it wasn't too deep or hurt that much.

"I would have truly expected more from you, since you are supposedly fighting for the honor of your lady and all." Harry continued.

Ben yelled out in anger again and wildly swung sideways at Harry, who simply stepped back and continued laughing maniacally. A swing from the other side was once again dodged by Harry who had now almost reached the end of the passageway.

"Come and get me!" Harry pestered.

Ben saw red and once again lunged at Harry, who sidestepped him and pulled him forward, almost making Ben lose his balance. Ben scrambled back upright and turned around to face Harry again, his sword still firmly in his hand.

Ben now had his back to the end of the passageway while Harry was technically able to leave without any resistance, which he remarkably didn't do.

"Why don't you fight?" Grunted Ben.

"Why would I?" Harry replied. "When I'm doing just fine with you simply exhausting yourself."

"Coward!" Ben yelled as he once again ran at Harry with his sword raised, who dodged his sideways slash. Ben, taking a more calculated approach this time, immediately swung back, forcing Harry to block his attempt this time.

Instead of having Harry pull him off balance again, Ben immediately turned, bashing his shield against Harry and pushing him back.

Ben again raised his sword, swinging at Harry from above. Harry once again blocked his strike, but did manage to lock up Ben's sword with his hook. To prevent being trapped, Ben once again pushed with his shield, freeing his sword, and quickly span around, managing to cut Harry's upper arm.

This made Harry stumble back a few paces, as he violently cursed and looked at his arm. "Motherfucker!" He exclaimed.

"You can surrender now and save yourself a lot more pain." Ben suggested.

Harry cackled in amusement. "What? What happened to the 'I wanna kill you'-side of you I saw not a minute ago?"

"I like to think I grow more mature with time." Ben replied.

"Well, maybe I should spark your memory then." Harry said sinisterly as he approached again and swung fast and hard at Ben's head.

Ben had time to block the strike with his shield, but did have to step back due to the strength of the strike.

Harry then swung low with his hook, a move which Ben also countered with his shield. The next strike from Harry was a high one with his sword, which Ben blocked with his own.

"I thought you'd be more intense." Harry grunted as he solidified the stalemate and started pushing down on Ben's shield with his hook.

Ben, not wanting to be caught in a vulnerable way like this, quickly lowered his shield and simultaneously pushed up with his sword, making a turning movement which led to him facing the end of the passageway again.

What he didn't account for was the strong kick Harry Hook delivered to his right knee, which temporarily made him lose balance and also hurt like hell.

Ben stumbled a bit, but did manage to not fall over, which had probably been the intention of the kick.

"You can take a hit, something else you have in common." Harry went on as he slashed at Ben again.

Ben parried or blocked multiple strikes as Harry forced him back.

"It took dozens of punches to finally break her, but boy did we do it!" Harry continued with an evil laugh.

Ben yelled out in anger and responded with a tremendous swing Harry narrowly managed to dodge by jumping backwards and losing his footing.

"YOU. WILL. NEVER. TOUCH. HER. AGAIN!" Ben screamed as he hacked into Harry with more ferocious strikes.

Harry was now completely on the defensive, scrambling to get back up whilst simultaneously having to parry Ben's attacks.

The strength with which Ben slashed at Harry increased with each attack, to the point where Ben was sure he could have cut through a tree had it been in front of him.

Harry now looked quite panicked, the amused smile having disappeared from his face and both a scared and annoyed looking frown in its place.

Ben didn't stop, his mind having been reduced to purely its animalistic instincts, and all these instincts told him that all he had to do was beat Harry Hook to a bloody pulp.

Harry had now been forced back completely into the wall at the end of the passageway, pinned between the wall and one of the houses, frantically keeping his sword raised in protection.

Ben's strikes continued, each one accompanied by a loud scream on his part, until, eventually, he managed to hit hard enough to dislodge the sword from Harry Hook's hand.

It was only at this moment that Ben felt a sense of control over his body again and he momentarily halted his assault.

"Surrender!" Ben demanded with a trembling but determined voice as he pointed his sword at Hook's throat.

Harry Hook looked up at him, panting and with his eyes wide open. "You will have to kill me."

"You know I don't want to do that. Come along peacefully!" Ben replied, his voice still shaking.

"Oh, I think you want to do it, you're just too proud to admit it." Harry retorted.

"Shut up!" Ben snapped.

"But a king could of course never give in to such vile tendencies, could he? Not even when someone cut up his precious little bride." Harry went on.

"Shut up!" Ben repeated.

"All because you weren't there to protect her. That must have hurt, right? Not having been there in her hour of need? But now you have the person who hurt her helpless at your feet…" Harry continued.

"Shut up!" Ben screamed.

"Do it! Prove to dear Mal how tough you are! Strike me down with all the fury you possess!" Harry provoked.

"NO!" Ben yelled.

"You want to do it! You know you do! If anything, it's to stop me from getting to Mal. Oh, the things I will do to her…" Harry spoke.

"Aaahh!" Ben screamed again as he raised his sword and struck fiercely at Harry's head.

At the last second, Harry ducked, meaning that Ben forced his blade into the stone wall of the house, where it remained stuck. Ben pulled fruitfully at his sword, but was unable to remove it.

Harry took advantage of the situation by kicking Ben hard in his abdomen, making him stumble back and eventually fall over. Harry then quickly jumped to the place where his fallen sword still laid on the ground and then scrambled back up.

"You're weak!" Harry shouted as he slashed at Ben, who took cover behind his shield and struggled backwards. "No wonder Mal didn't feel the need to bring you along to the isle, you're useless!"

Ben stumbled back even further, both his hands now supporting the shield that protected him from the full fury of Harry Hook's assault.

"Weak and useless!" Harry continued as he kept on striking at Ben's increasingly battered shield and forcing him back. "Perhaps I'll do Mal a favor by taking you out before I come for her, I'll be sure to tell her in great detail how you cowered from me."

At the next slash at Ben's shield, he suddenly reacted, pushing his shield up against Harry Hook's sword arm and punching him hard in the face with his other hand.

Harry stumbled back and eventually fell, still reeling from the punch.

Ben didn't let up and jumped at Harry with an almost beastly roar. He continued on his rampage, slamming his shield against Hook's arm first, making him drop his sword again, and then smashing it into his face, causing Harry to spit out a fair amount of blood.

The two of them then stayed on the ground for a certain period, both panting. Ben's heavy breathing was caused by his sudden rush of adrenalin whilst Harry Hook was mainly groaning in pain.

Ben didn't stop, instead renewing his attack with vigor. He dropped his shield and approached the fallen Harry Hook, who was still dazed after Ben's onslaught.

"You bastard!" Ben mumbled as he took Harry by the collar and then socked him in the eye with his gloved fist.

All Harry could do was weakly move his arms around as he suffered through the pinnacle of Ben's wrath. Ben, in turn, had not trouble keeping him pinned and pushing Harry's protesting arms out of the way.

"YOU! WON'T! HURT! HER! AGAIN!" Ben grunted through heaving breaths as he kept on pummeling Harry Hook's face, which had already started swelling up and both his mouth and nose had begun bleeding profusely.

"YOU! ARE! NOTHING!" Ben continued as he underlined each word with a particularly hard punch.

All Harry could do was softly groan, though this had begun to sound more and more like gurgling as Ben's punches continued.

One more punch from Ben caused Harry's to finally go limp, having apparently finally succumbed to Ben's attacks.

Ben looked down at Harry, who stared back through half-closed, battered eyelids as he coughed up even more blood. Ben felt no remorse for his actions at that point, his hatred for the person who had so badly hurt his one true love was all the remained.

Ben reached over for the sword of his fallen foe, which had been tossed just beyond his grasp. He was going to end this.

Ben held the sword at the throat of his enemy, who could do nothing but sputter.

"You're nothing." Ben repeated with a whisper.

He raised the sword above his head, ready to strike, when all of the sudden, something violently crashed into him from behind, dislodging him off of Harry Hook.

"Wha- what!?" Ben exclaimed as he attempted to push his attacker off.

He then felt two hands around the arm that held Harry Hook's sword, which then violently twisted it, forcing him to let go.

"Ben! Calm down!" A voice ordered.

Ben went rigid, he knew that voice very well.

"Archer?" He croaked.

"Yes, now calm down!" Archer repeated.

"Let me go!" Ben demanded.

"Not until you calm down. Ben, Jesus Christ…" Archer replied as he looked back at Harry Hook.

With a tremendous amount of strength, Ben pushed Archer off of him and quickly tried to scramble back up. When he looked up, Ben saw Archer look at him with a mixture of anger and confusion.

"Ben, what the hell is this?" Archer asked in a brusque tone as he gestured at Harry Hook, who was still bleeding on the ground.

"I have to finish what I started." Ben simply replied as he approached Hook again.

Archer put a hand on Ben's chest. "Ben! No!"

Ben slapped Archer's hand away. "Let this go, Archer!" He grunted.

Archer resolutely took his place between Ben and Harry Hook. "Ben, you know damn well that this is not the way!" He hissed.

"This is not your concern!" Ben snapped.

"I can't let you do this!" Archer retorted, his palm still flat on Ben's chest.

When Ben made another swiping motion for Archer's arm, the latter immediately reacted by grabbing Ben's wrist, twisting it behind his back and pulling him into a strong chokehold.

Ben struggled furiously, bringing both of them to the ground, but was unable to break free. He started wheezing as Archer put more and more pressure on his windpipe. All the words Ben tried to yell at Archer came out as soft sputters as his head slowly turned more and more red.

All of the sudden, a cloud of thick, grey smoke emerged in front of them.

Both Ben and Archer stiffened as they saw a girl with aqua green hair emerge out of the smoke, grab the broken Harry Hook by his arm, throw a small vile to the ground, and disappear again along with him, leaving the two of them alone in the now empty alleyway.


	18. Chapter 18: Revenge

**A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story thus far, and the ones who just started reading of course.**

 **Please leave a review if you feel like it, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **BTW, has everyone seen the latest Descendants 3 trailer? If not, check it out, it's freaking awesome!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 18: Revenge

"What the…" Archer exclaimed in a confused tone as he slowly let go of Ben, still staring at the place Harry Hook had been laying not five seconds ago.

Ben immediately scrambled back up and furiously looked around, apparently convinced that Harry Hook still had to be present. "No, no, no, no, no…" He mumbled as he began pacing along the passageway.

"Ben, he's gone." Archer calmly stated.

Ben stared at Archer again, who had in the meantime gotten back up as well and looked back at Ben with an uncertain look. Ben was livid. Did Archer not realize what he just did? Did he not realize who had just managed to escape their clutches?

"Do you have any idea what you just did?" Ben yelled, his anger almost getting the better of him.

"I know perfectly well." Archer replied. "I stopped you from killing someone, Ben, I hope you realize that that's all that I have done."

"You had no right…" Ben mumbled as he still kneeled at the place where Harry Hook had disappeared not a minute ago.

"Ben, do you have any idea what you actually did?" Archer asked.

Ben looked back up at Archer with pure hatred. "We had him right here! We could have captured him."

"You know damn well that that's not what you wanted to do!" Archer snapped back.

Ben didn't reply, instead angrily staring at the ground, his fists balled.

"You were going to kill him, Ben. I couldn't allow that." Archer calmly told him.

"Do you have any idea who that was? What he has done!?" Ben fell out at him again.

"I do." Archer replied.

"Then you also know that he deserves every damn punishment imaginable!" Ben yelled.

"That's not how we do things in Auradon, we don't let revenge guide us." Archer explained.

"He almost killed Mal!" Ben shouted as he scrambled back up.

"And I was the one who got her out! Ben, I saw firsthand what those monsters did to her and believe when I say that I want to see them brought to justice just as much as you do, but this is not the way!" Archer retorted.

"Oh, what do you know!? If you had anyone in your life as important to you as Mal is to me, you would have understood!" Ben ranted.

This felt as a kick to the sore leg to Archer, who kept on looking at Ben with steely eyes. "You're delirious. The adrenalin has messed with your mind."

"My mind is perfectly clear, more so than it has been in a long time!" Ben growled, his face still scrunched up in anger.

"If that was true, then you'd see the wrongdoings in the things you just did." Archer replied.

"Stop pretending that you're something of a moral compass! You're not!" Ben snapped.

"When you're not thinking straight, you're kind of forcing me to." Archer retorted.

Ben went nose-to-nose with Archer. "You are not better than me!"

"I never said I was." Archer said in a sad tone.

"Stop acting like you are in any case." Ben spat.

"Ben…" Archer began. "You haven't even asked about the woman. I thought you'd at least like to know the faith of the people you've so hastily abandoned."

This appeared to soften Ben, albeit ever so slightly. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine. On the way to the hospital with a handful of others we found scattered throughout the village." Archer explained.

"Is anyone… Did they…" Ben stammered.

"Nobody died, thought the villains certainly did their best to tear down the village, there's barely a building left untouched." Archer went on.

"We can rebuild. All of it can be rebuild." Ben mumbled mostly to himself. "No one died, that's important."

"It's important when no one on our side died?" Archer asked with a sneering undertone.

Ben turned to him with a seething stare again. "Are you actually saying you even care in the least about this piece of trash's life!?"

"No." Archer asked truthfully, "But I do see it as our goal to avoid any unnecessary casualties, that's what separates us from the villains."

"This piece of trash was not an unnecessary casualty!" Ben spat. "If you would have heard what he'd said, what he said he'd do, you would want to see him dead just as much as me!"

"I would want to see him locked up!" Archer retorted. "I want to see him off the streets! I fear the day I will ever wish for someone's death."

Ben gave a maniacal, sarcastic laugh. "You!? The supposedly greatest killer in the kingdom!? You never wish for someone's death!?"

"I have killed, yes, but believe me when I say that it's not a pleasure, Ben! It scars you in a way you cannot understand. I only want to protect you from that pain." Archer explained.

"So, why is it okay whenever you kill?" Ben questioned.

"I do not kill for revenge!" Archer yelled. "I kill to protect those I care about! I kill when there is no other option! I kill when I have no choice…"

This appeared to silence Ben, who kept staring at Archer with an angry, rebellious look nonetheless.

"Guys?" A voice suddenly asked from behind Archer.

Archer looked back and saw Lancelot stand at the end of the passageway looking incredibly uneasy.

"Yes?" Archer asked, Ben still holding onto his silence.

"We have scanned the entire village, there's no one left. Our enemies have probably all escaped, and we have relocated all leftover villagers to emergency houses in Auradon City." Lancelot cited.

"Good, we will head back in a short while. Please just give us one more minute." Archer requested.

"Yeah man, sure…" Lancelot slowly said before hesitantly turning his back on the two.

"I don't believe we have much more to discuss." Ben said in a steely tone as he approached his sword, which was stuck in the wall of one of the houses, and pulled it out with an impressive show of strength.

"I will not end our talk on these terms, Ben." Archer calmly replied.

"Too bad." Ben retorted, and he started walking to the end of the passageway.

"Ben!" Archer shouted after him. "This is not over!"

Ben stopped walking, turned around after a few seconds and moved back to where Archer was standing.

"Archer, you need to get this through your head! I will not change my opinion on this matter!" Ben spat.

"You are being blinded by your anger and fear right now! Ben, you need to take time to sit down and reflect on the situation!" Archer pleaded.

"We don't have time! Thanks to you, one of our most dangerous enemies is still on the loose and who knows when he'll strike again, or what he'll do! Who else does he need to hurt before you'll change your ways?" Ben questioned.

Now it was Archer's turn to be partially silenced, as he did not have an immediate answer ready for Ben.

Ben scoffed a bit, seeing Archer lost for words for once, and turned around again.

"I'm not saying I want to keep him alive at all costs." Archer eventually said, which made Ben turn around again. "I'm just asking that you consider killing him a last resort."

"Not this case." Ben replied, and he finally walked out of the passageway.

Archer felt his temper rise and quickly chased after Ben. "If you believe we are done you are gravely mistaken." Archer clarified.

"I don't care." Ben answered as they walked back through the village.

"You cannot keep behaving like this, Ben." Archer went on.

"Behaving like what!?" Ben fell out. "Like I want to protect my people, those I love?"

"Like all you want is to hurt people." Archer cleared up.

"I want to hurt those that have hurt us!" Ben spat.

"You claim that your main thought is to protect those you love, right?" Archer asked.

"Yes." Ben answered brusquely.

"So act like it, be a protector not an avenger." Archer stated.

"You said yourself that you kill to protect those you care about!" Ben reproached.

"When I'm in a battle, when I fight wars, yes! I do not actively seek out my enemies to kill them!" Archer retorted.

"Well, maybe we should! We have always done things in certain ways, but maybe we should do things differently if it means saving more people!" Ben said.

"Do you actually believe that acting this way will accomplish that?" Archer asked astounded.

"Yes!" Ben shouted back, right as they approached the group of soldiers already waiting on horseback.

"You are mistaken!" Archer grunted as Ben already mounted his stallion.

"You do not know everything, Archer!" Ben hissed, soft enough that the other soldiers could not hear him.

Before Archer could reply, Ben already spurred on his horse and headed off.

"Goddammit…" Archer mumbled as he hastily approached his own horse and followed Ben.

"You cannot simply avoid me, Ben." Archer said loudly once he caught up with him.

Ben remained silent and instead spurred on his horse a little more, riding further ahead of Archer.

"What's the problem between you two? What happened?" Lancelot asked as he rode up beside Archer.

"I'll tell you later, right now I really need to get through to Ben." Archer replied.

"Well good luck then, he seems really mad." Lancelot acknowledged.

Archer just nodded as he continued spurring on his horse. Behind him, Archer heard Lancelot softly discuss Ben and Archer's discussion with the rest of the troop, something that couldn't really bother him right now.

It took just a few more minutes before they arrived back at Beast Castle, where Mal stood at the door waiting for them.

The second she saw him, Mal ran down the steps two at a time and flung herself at Ben, who had also rapidly descended his horse.

Archer got off his horse a little more slowly, but could still hear what Ben and Mal whispered to each other in their embrace.

"Please don't ever leave me again." Mal pleaded into Ben's shoulder as she hugged him fiercely.

"Never, never again." Ben replied, his eyes closed in a moment of pure bliss.

"Oh, Ben." Mal groaned as she stroked the cut on Ben's cheek.

"It's nothing, nothing really." Ben reassured her before finally locking lips with her.

Archer felt very torn up watching this display of affection. On the one hand, he of course wanted to wish them all the happiness in the world, but his conscience told him that he would first have to deal with his argument with Ben.

"Ben…" Archer began as he approached the two, who separated once they heard him. "We still need to talk."

"We have nothing more to talk about." Ben replied, masking the harshness in his voice with Mal present, but the sneering undertone still very much apparent.

"What's wrong?" Mal asked.

"Something I have to discuss with Ben." Archer answered, his eyes never leaving Ben's.

Ben didn't answer, so Mal kept looking between the two of them. "What do you need to talk to Ben about?" She eventually asked.

"I would really rather do that privately." Archer replied.

"You know damn well that everything you have to tell me, you can say in front of Mal." Ben intervened.

"Even this? You want her to know about this?" Archer questioned.

"About what? What is this about, Ben?" Mal asked.

"It's nothing." Ben replied shortly, his teeth clenched.

"Mal…" Archer began as he directed himself at her, "Something serious happened during the raid that I need to discuss with Ben, please convince him to listen to me."

Ben's look had now returned to being absolutely furious, which in turn did not go unnoticed by Mal.

"Wait, what? What happened? Ben?" Mal questioned, looking more suspicious.

"Nothing!" Ben grunted, his head turning red.

Mal now actually started looking suspicious at both Ben and Archer.

"Ben, please. I am just trying to look out for you, we need to talk about this." Archer once again tried to reassure Ben.

Before Ben could speak, Mal interrupted him.

"Ben, Archer really seems serious. Whatever it is, please work it out." She pleaded.

Ben looked sort of lost for words, his eyes not leaving Mal's.

"I'll wait for you in your office." Archer said as he looked at the couple. "Please do what is best."

Archer then walked off, leaving a still silent Ben and Mal at the steps of Beast Castle. He knew the way to Ben's office since he had visited the castle regularly ever since his childhood. Making his way through the many hallways, he eventually reached Ben's office, where he patiently waited on one of the couches.

If anything, Ben would come to tell him off, but Archer still hoped that he could change Ben's mind on all this.

It took nearly fifteen minutes of waiting before Archer finally heard heavy footsteps outside the office, after which the door flew open and a still very angry looking Ben entered. Archer also noticed a band aid covering the cut on his cheek.

"Have you decided to listen?" Archer asked, not standing up from where he was seated.

"Not for your sake, but for Mal's." Ben answered.

"Works for me either way, how did she convince you?" Archer questioned.

"She saw how serious you were, and how apparently agitated I was. She then gave me sort of an ultimatum if I didn't go up to see you." Ben explained.

"I won't ask about further details." Archer said as he stood up. "You wouldn't have happened to have changed your mind already?"

"Why would I? I still don't see any reason why we should care about those who have wronged us so severely!" Ben shouted.

"If not for him, then do it for yourself!" Archer retorted.

"What's that even supposed to mean?" Ben questioned.

"Ben, have you ever killed another person?" Archer asked.

"You know damn well I haven't." Ben replied.

"Well, it takes a toll on you. The first time I killed was… It changed me. I didn't sleep for about a week. Every waking moment I just kept thinking about it and if I could have done something to change what had happened. When you actually have the option, choose not to kill." Archer explained.

Ben was silent for a moment, seemingly taking in the story Archer told. "It… was…" He started slowly, "To… to protect those I love. Killing him will prevent those I care about from getting hurt."

"Putting him away in a prison would do the same." Archer stated.

"He might escape." Ben retorted.

"Then again, he might not. We can amp up security." Archer proposed.

"The others could come for him, or for us. They will retaliate if we capture any of them." Ben then said.

"And they won't if we kill any of them!?" Archer asked incredulously.

"Well…" Ben began, but apparently not knowing anything further to say.

"Ben, look at what has happened. These people tortured Mal, horribly. And what did you do? You retaliated, you wanted revenge. You were ready to kill a person as revenge for what they did to Mal, someone you care about. If you would have actually killed Harry Hook, don't you think our enemies would come for us in retaliation? They might do so anyway, seeing as how you beat the living daylights out of him." Archer ranted.

Ben just looked away from Archer, his head turning red and his fists clenched.

"Revenge is a cycle, Ben, and a vicious one at that. We can't turn back time. What happened to Mal, happened, same with Harry Hook. You took the last shot and the ball is now in their court. All we can do now is wait for their move and then you'll have the chance to be the bigger person, the better person. You will have the chance to end all this violence that goes around and comes around. Otherwise, you might very well be creating a feud that could go on till the end of time." Archer went on.

"That's a bit melodramatic, is it not?" Ben asked with a small grin.

"I am fully serious, Ben. Revenge is never the answer, and neither is killing." Archer replied.

"Only when there is no other way?" Ben questioned.

"Only when there is no other way." Archer confirmed.

"When do I know when there is no other way?" Ben followed up.

Archer breathed out gratefully as Ben seemed to finally sway his opinion. "You will know. I'm sorry I can't be more specific, but you will know. Actually, when you're in a battle you shouldn't hesitate. Don't show mercy to whom who shall not grant you any."

"Harry Hook would have killed my if he'd had the chance." Ben protested.

"So, are you saying you want to drop down to the level of Harry Hook?" Archer asked as he crossed his arms.

Ben frowned. "Of course I don't want to, but what if it's the key to winning this war?"

"If we have to resort to their tactics, and sacrifice our humanity along the way, the war is already as good as lost." Archer answered.

"Would killing such a horrible human being mean losing my humanity?" Ben questioned.

"When you could have simply arrested him, yes." Archer replied.

"He would have fought back." Ben hesitantly protested.

"You had him." Archer explained. "He was all bloodied and barely conscious. What more damage could he have done to you at that moment?"

Ben uncomfortably shrugged. "Not that much I guess."

"Show them mercy, or at least a little. I'm not saying that you should allow them to escape their punishment, but punish them legally, the way it's supposed to be." Archer went on.

"Sending people to the isle is the strictest punishment in Auradonian law, we can't simply send them back." Ben said in a lamented tone.

"I agree, especially for this Solomon. I mean, if he has the ability to pass through the barrier, it's not that much of a punishment anyway." Archer acknowledged.

"So, what do we do?" Ben asked.

"I'm not sure, we'll have to meet up with some of the other rulers to agree to a more severe punishment." Archer answered.

Ben simply nodded, suddenly appearing very tired.

"Are we all good now?" Archer asked.

Ben nodded again. "Of course. I see what you've been trying to say and I will try to keep my temper in check for the next fight."

"Good and thank you." Archer said as he walked back towards the door.

"Archer." Ben called out once Archer reached the door. "Thanks for keeping faith in me. It's just… when it comes to Mal I just want to protect her."

"I get it, and you should know that you can always count on me, especially if someone needs saving again." Archer replied.

Ben simply nodded as he leaned back in his chair while Archer opened the door and left the room.

Once outside, he almost bumped into Mal, who had apparently been eavesdropping in the hallway.

"Go be with him." Archer said to her. "I have a feeling he needs you now more than ever."

"What happened on your mission?" Mal asked.

"That's something you need to hear from Ben. Just remember that he loves you more than anything else." Archer replied.

Mal seemed somewhat taken aback, but nodded anyway before slipping past Archer into Ben's office.


	19. Chapter 19: Heart

**I know that it has taken a bit longer recently to write chapters, but stay tuned because I am still writing and fully intend on finishing the story.**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **One little question; I always wondered who you guys would pick as actresses to play CJ and Freddie in any live-action Descendants movie. If you want to, please share.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 19: Heart

"Solomon! Uma! Get out here! Quickly!"

The voices were carried up through the air and CJ could easily distinguish the somewhat desperate sounding cries of Maddy and Gil. This peeked her interest somewhat as she knew that those two had been joined by Harry, Zevon, Anthony and one other pirate in yet another raid on an Auradonian village.

Their small group of villains had thus far raided three Auradonian villages, as well as numerous smaller attacks on passing vehicles. CJ had only taken part in one raid, their first one, and it had not gone particularly well for her.

Eager to do something else than be cooked up inside the ruined watch tower all day, the entire squad had decided to come along on the first raid. Since their group would be so large, Solomon had decided to attack the largest of all of Auradon City's surrounding villages as well.

The attack went rather smoothly at first, with Solomon, Uma and Maddy all using their magic to their full potential and the rest using potions made by Zevon to either burn or blow up parts of the village. Their goal was to try to not kill any inhabitants, but instead cause as much panic as possible.

Solomon had explained his plan to make as many people as possible flee for Auradon City and have them spread the message of their evildoings throughout the kingdom, causing even more panic amongst the people.

While her compatriots had taken this task by heart and had eagerly participated in the destruction of so much Auradonian property, CJ had, to her own astonishment, found little joy in exerting evil this time.

In her time on the isle, CJ had mostly dabbled in petty theft and the occasional malicious prank. She had never really actively sought out someone to torment or committed atrocities against others for no particular reason, unlike some others in the group.

Solomon had been maligned on the isle for his cruelty, even against his own. Not even Uma, Harriet or Mal had gone to the lengths of evil he had, especially involving punishment.

CJ was known for her bad temper, sword-fighting skills and a sometimes-playful nature when regarding violence, but cruelty was a feature not among them.

So, when the time came for her and the others to destroy houses, CJ hesitated.

Beside her, she had seen Uma flood entire streets, Solomon heedlessly throw balls of fire straight through windows and Harry and the others jump from house to house, smashing everything in sight. CJ had at first eagerly jumped into the first house she saw, only to already finding it abandoned.

When she searched the place for items to steal, she had instead found numerous pictures depicting a happy family with a bunch of little kids. The conclusion that this was their home had come easily to her.

It was at that moment that CJ lost pretty much all her enthusiasm for the raid. Outside the house, the others were still doing their business, happily cheering as they did it, while CJ largely stayed out of it from that point on.

All this destroying property of people she had never even met, let alone who had wronged her, just didn't feel right. CJ had long stopped believing all the propaganda that had been spread along the isle for years, that everyone in Auradon deserved the revenge the villains would eventually dish out against them.

Solomon had claimed that ignorance among the Auradonians had been one of their most heinous crimes, but CJ just couldn't agree. After all, how could you be at fault of something when you weren't even aware of it?

Instead of giving in to the violent tendencies the others clearly possessed, CJ had spent the rest of the raid gathering supplies from other houses up until Solomon called for everyone to retreat as Auradon forces were approaching.

When the group eventually got back to their holdout, enthusiastically chattering about their first thrilling attack on Auradonian ground, Solomon had approached CJ.

"I noticed you didn't really take part in our mission." He had said.

It wasn't a question, so CJ didn't feel as if she could deny it. "The bunch of you appeared to have things sorted out, I didn't really feel like it."

Solomon snorted. "If you won't do what you're told, it won't be much use to take you on any further missions. We are all at risk of getting captured, but if you don't put up anything to counter that risk…"

"What?" CJ interrupted him, "You're saying that I have to go and destroy things if I want to go on future missions?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Solomon replied, not addressing the fact that CJ interrupted him.

"Come on, what difference does it make if I'm there, but not raiding?" CJ questioned.

Even though she did not like raiding, those were pretty much the only instances where she was allowed to leave the watch tower, as well as being one of the spare instances of excitement in these times.

"As I said, we are all at risk of getting caught, and if someone gets caught, we risk that particular person spilling the beans on our entire operation. If you don't plan on actually doing anything useful for me, I see no reason to risk you getting caught." Solomon explained.

"Oh, how nice of you!" CJ spat, the annoyance clearly present in her voice.

"Be glad, now you at least won't risk falling victim to those nasty Auradonians." Solomon replied, a sarcastic gleam in his eye.

"Yeah, as if they could be any worse than you." CJ retorted.

"No more raids for you, CJ." Solomon scoffed as he turned his back on her.

That had been one week ago, and since then all CJ had done was be bored to death on top of the watch tower, watching the others head out every once in a while on another raid or ambush.

Something that had gotten her through this week was the stuff she had taken on her first, and thus far only raid.

She had taken a couple of books, all of which with richly decorated leather backs, a gold adorned dagger, mainly used for decorative purposes in Auradon, a lighter, a pocket knife and a small music box.

CJ had spent most of her time trying to read the books. Reading had never been her strongest suit, meaning that she was only able to get through a couple of pages an hour, but she did find it rather calming.

One book was a short history on a sport called _Swords And Shields_ , or S.A.S. as it was often abbreviated as. CJ was actually very interested in the way the sport was described, as it was basically just dueling with swords, and had already practiced some of the moves that had been described in the book with rich illustrations.

Another book was a simple cookbook, which was of little use to CJ since she had neither ingredients nor equipment to make any of the fancy meals described in it.

The third and last book she had stolen appeared to be a history book for children, due to the crude illustrations and simple language used in it. This did mean that it was more easily readable for her. Aside from describing the lives of most of the kingdom's rulers, and how they got to power, the book also gave a broad overview of the great war between the heroes and villains, which had obviously ended with the villains being banished to the isle of the lost. Since no comparable literature was available on the isle, CJ had eagerly read through it, if only to find out if what the villains on the isle had said about their past was true.

Aside from these books, CJ had also snatched a newspaper. This naturally recounted recent events from Auradon. Most of this stuff didn't interest her in the slightest, just gossip about Auradonian celebrities, results of sports games, info on the economy etcetera.

One thing that had peaked her interest was a small article about a villain kid orphanage, which had apparently only recently been opened up at the edge of Auradon City. On the corresponding picture, king Ben and Malsie stood in front of a large building, happily holding hands. CJ almost felt sick when she saw that the sign in front of the building had even been modeled in Mal's trademark 'long live evil' logo, only this one proudly displayed the name 'Mal's isle kid orphanage'.

CJ could not help but scoff to herself. So little miss perfect had gone and created an actual living space for the people she had plucked from her former home? Well, isn't that just peachy.

CJ had been reading through the history of her own father, Captain Hook, and his rivalry with Peter Pan, when the desperate shouts from the others alerted her.

Curious as to what could have happened on their raid to make them panic this much, CJ put down her book and headed downstairs.

From the top of the winding stairs, all she could see was almost everyone standing around the table, talking fast and panicky. Only Clay, Anthony and their two pirates were standing off to the side, softly whispering to each other.

"Just use one of your potions!" Uma suddenly shrieked, startling CJ.

"The wounds are to close to eyes and mouth, if anything gets in there he could die!" Zevon retorted.

"You can use it for his arm and chest, I guess we need to stitch up his face." Solomon softly explained.

Zevon immediately ran off to his potion supply, followed by Gil and Maddy.

CJ now had an unobstructed view of the person on the table for the first time, and she gasped when she saw who was on it.

Harry's face had been cut up, bludgeoned, beaten. His eyes punches shut and a sickening purple color. Both his cheeks slashed open and swollen with blood still pouring out. His lips had been battered and split and bits of blood seep out of his mouth every time he took a gurgling breath.

"Harry…" CJ softly exclaimed as he mindlessly descended the final steps and approached her barely recognizable brother.

Uma looked up at her, her eyes seething, but she said nothing. Apparently, her panic regarding Harry's situation momentarily bypassed her hatred for CJ.

Solomon similarly made no comment on CJ's arrival. He did not look panicked, but did survey the situation in earnest.

CJ was unsure how to feel. On the one hand, she and Harry had pretty much permanently split following their large fight at the top of the tower, but on the other, he was still her brother and the one person in the group she suspected still had something resembling positive feelings towards her. Even if she had rejected his attempts to help her, of which she was still certain that they would fail, she didn't want him dead, or injured for that matter.

Now he was just laying there, seemingly just barely conscious, and CJ felt a lump in her throat when she watched him helplessly sputter and whither.

CJ guessed it took Harry getting almost beaten to death for her to realize she still cared for him, albeit a little, she thought to herself.

"Harry!" CJ almost yelled at her brother as she bent over the table and grabbed him by the shoulder. "Harry!"

Uma slapped at CJ's arm. "Let him go, dumb brat! Can't you see he's injured!?"

"W-what happened?" CJ slowly asked, not responding to Uma's insult.

"Beastie boy." Maddy answered as she approached the table again alongside Gil, their arms filled with bandages.

"Beastie B- The king!? The king did this?" CJ exclaimed.

Maddy nodded. "I looked on from a distance as he beat the crap out of him, it was quite intense."

"You looked on and did nothing!?" Uma asked seething.

"Hey, hey! There were soldiers everywhere, I had to stay hidden! You should be glad that I actually managed to get him out of there!" Maddy retorted.

"There were soldiers?" Solomon asked in a pervasive tone as he dropped a few drops of the green potion onto a small wound on Harry's arm.

"Yes, sir." Zevon answered as he started wiping the blood off Harry's face with a cloth, a little less gentle than CJ would have liked. "They were on us like flies, barely five minutes after our raid began."

"Interesting…" Solomon mumbled as he put the cork back on the vile of green liquid. "And baby beast led the force himself?"

Both Maddy and Zevon nodded.

"Impressive, so he actually followed up on his promise." Solomon continued with a slight grin.

"We were still able to put the village to the torch." Maddy hastily said. "Everyone who lived there scurried off towards Auradon City."

"That's good, everything we could have hoped for." Solomon answered.

"Harry getting bludgeoned is not something I hope for, Horns!" Uma snapped as she pushed Zevon away and started attending to Harry's wounds herself, a lot more tenderly than the former had done.

"Getting injured during a raid is what we signed up for, it's not a big deal." Solomon replied.

Uma pointed a furious finger at Solomon. "If he dies, so help me god Horns…"

"He will not die!" Solomon hissed.

"Are you sure?" CJ asked, more timidly than she would have liked.

Solomon gave her a confused stare, as if even he was perplexed at CJ's sudden, subservient tone. "When his wounds are clean we can stitch him up. He'll lose his pretty face, but he will survive."

"What do you mean he'll lose his face!?" Uma asked loudly before CJ could say anything.

"Well, I'm not a doctor." Solomon said to the point, "And those are some serious cuts. There are bound to remain some scars when all is said and done."

"You can't do anything about that?" Uma asked somewhat maniacal.

"Well, I'm more efficient in giving people scars than removing them." Solomon replied with a shrug.

"So what do we do?" Uma questioned.

"Stitch him up, put some ice on there… I wouldn't know what more there is to do." Solomon answered.

"How could this have happened? You were all there with him, right?" Uma asked Maddy, Zevon, Gil and Anthony.

"The Auradon troops arrived faster than anticipated, we had to hide before it was safe to teleport." Zevon answered.

"Why didn't Harry teleport?" Uma asked.

"He used up his own potions during the past raids, he had to lift along with one of us." Maddy explained.

"And not one of you went out to find him!? Even when you knew he couldn't get out of there!?" Uma ranted.

"As I said, we had to hide. Harry was too reckless anyway by going out on his own." Zevon retorted.

"Maybe if we'd had more people we could have spread out more." Maddy piped in with a shrug.

To CJ's astonishment, Uma angrily turned to her.

"This is all your fault!" She yelled.

"What?" CJ asked, honestly perplexed.

"If you would have just put aside your stupid mindset you would have also been on this raid! This would not have happened to Harry if it wasn't for you!" Uma raged.

CJ was astonished. "Now, hold up just a…" She began, but just as she was about to make her point, CJ saw Uma's necklace start to glow.

CJ's eyes widened as she reached for her sword, but then she immediately felt an enormous gush of water hit her from behind, dropping her to the stone floor with a loud smack.

CJ coughed as the combination of the water and her smack to the ground made the air leave her lungs. Just as she turned to her side, another blast of water hit her square in the face, pushing her against the brick wall.

For a few seconds CJ's entire vision was blurry and she felt as though the world was spinning around her. The back of her head hurt following her smack against the wall. When her vision finally returned to normal, CJ was just able to see Uma direct yet another stream of water at her.

This time, CJ was just able to put her arms in front of her face, somewhat shielding her from the ice-cold assault.

When she lowered her arms again, sputtering from inhaling so much water, she saw Uma unsheathe her sword and approach her.

CJ struggled to get back upright, but she needn't have bothered as Solomon finally placed a hand on Uma's shoulder and pulled her back.

"Back off, Uma!" He hissed.

"What? You're protecting her?" Uma asked indignant.

"Right now, I would have expected Harry's recovery to be more of your concern. If you want to help him, then act as such." Solomon told her.

Uma glanced at Harry, who was still barely conscious, and back at Solomon. "Fine." She said as she put her sword back in her scabbard and walked back to Harry.

"Take her upstairs." Solomon ordered Harriet's nameless goons with a small gesture at CJ.

Before really realizing it, CJ felt a hand under each of her armpits pull her back up before dragging her up the stairs. With another painful smack, CJ felt as the two brutes roughly threw her to the floor of the tower's roof. When CJ turned on her side, she also felt one of them kick her in her back, making her groan in pain.

A second later both of them left, slamming the door behind them and leaving CJ alone on her roof, all bruised and soaking wet.

It took about one more minute before CJ scrambled back to her knees and slowly made her way to her nest of blankets and pillows. She silently cursed to herself as she moved all her limbs, trying to find the places where she had been badly bruised.

Her nose was bleeding, probably from her first smack to the floor, and the back of her head hurt from the contact with the wall. She also felt bruises start to develop on her right arm and leg, and on her back from the kick that was delivered to her.

Right now, to her own surprise, CJ did not feel any exuberant feelings of anger, not towards Uma or anyone. Her mind was still compromised by feelings of worry about Harry.

Even on the isle CJ had never seen Harry beaten up like that. At most, he had come home with a sprained wrist or ankle, a deep cut or a hefty bruise. Never had he been beaten to within an inch of his life.

To have that happen now, in Auradon, and during their invasion only scared CJ more. This place, this fairytale land, appeared to not be as safe and peaceful as it had appeared to be.

CJ had originally joined on this expedition to get off the isle and, more importantly, away from Harriet. She had convinced herself that whatever Harriet would be both able and willing to do to her would be worse than whatever they could face in Auradon.

Unconsciously, her decision might have also been influenced by her encounter with the Auradon soldiers during Mal's escape attempt. They had refused to kill her, and that was back on the isle. CJ would have guessed that they would be even more hesitant to use violence now that they had the home advantage, and thus had all their resources readily available.

Quite the opposite appeared to be true. Now that the villains had invaded, the Auradonians were apparently willing to do whatever it takes to get them out, murder included.

All caught up in her thoughts, CJ hadn't heard anyone walk up the stairs until the door to the roof suddenly opened.

"CJ?" A soft voice called out.

CJ looked up as Gil stepped onto the roof, his eyes perpetually confused as usual. She didn't do so much as grunt in response, instead choosing to keep on silently sulking in her corner.

"Ehm, CJ?" Gil asked again, slowly approaching her. "We bandaged Harry up and gave him some, ehm, some of that weary stuff. You know, the stuff that makes you go…"

"I get it." CJ mumbled.

"Oh, okay. Well, he woke up and asked for you. Would you go and see him?" Gil hesitantly asked.

CJ looked up surprise. Harry asked for her?

"What?" CJ reacted.

"He asked for you, right when he got his senses back." Gil answered.

A bit mindlessly, CJ stood up and walked over to Gil, who got the message and preceded her through the door and down the winding stairs.

CJ was still hurting, the back of her head and her back especially, but that wasn't on her mind right now.

The space downstairs was largely empty. Zevon sat in one of the corners concocting potions and Maddy was reading through one of Solomon's spell books in another. Harry was laying on the most comfortable improvised bed the crew had available to them while Uma sat on her knees next to him. The two were whispering to each other and, to CJ's disgust, tightly held each other's hands.

When CJ came into Harry's vision, his eyes immediately met hers.

"CJ!" Harry croaked, his voice raspy.

CJ was almost startled, not because of the destructive look Uma threw her way, but because of Harry's situation. The wounds he had sustained were clean and either bandaged or stitched up, but were still very clearly visible.

Both of Harry's eyes were swollen and black, and CJ was surprised that he was still able to see. His lips were shattered, puffy and still bleeding. Both his cheeks had been split and were now swollen and bruised with lines of thread running through them.

Even through all the injuries, CJ could see that Harry tried to sport his trademark grin as he looked at her.

"Harry…" CJ softly said as she approached her wounded brother.

"Uma… Could you…Please…" Harry mumbled as he directed himself to his captain.

Uma snorted, but stood up nonetheless, also giving CJ yet another vicious snare as she passed by her.

CJ took Uma's place beside Harry, kneeling next to him. She remembered how, in their past, one of them had regularly sat beside the other when one of them was sick or injured. CJ recalled how she had at one time tried to make a soup out of washed up vegetables and stale chicken when Harry had contracted a particularly nasty fever. He had eaten it, but CJ had always suspected that he'd only done it to make her happy.

Now, with everything that happened between them during the past months, CJ was unsure what to do. One the one hand, she wanted to be with her brother during tough times, but on the other, she could not forget their last conversation, during which he had basically disowned her.

"Hey…" Harry softly grunted.

"Hey…" CJ replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Nothing that will last, it's just my face." Harry answered, his grin slightly widening.

"Why did you want to talk to me?" CJ asked to the point.

"Because I wanted to talk to you." Harry slurred, his eyes suddenly turning vague.

"But why?" CJ pressed on.

"Because it was you. W-when… When he p-punched me and all…" Harry continued, his speech turning more into garbling.

"What? What was me?" CJ asked, her voice getting stuck in her throat.

"Y-you. I… I… I-I needed to see you. One l-last time…" Harry mumbled.

CJ felt involuntary tears in her eyes. "Why did you need to see me?"

"I-I didn't want to go out… Not with us… Not like this…" Harry continued. It became apparent that he was trying his best not to fall asleep.

"Like what?" CJ went on, her jaw clenched.

"I care about you, I really do." Harry replied, his voice momentarily stable.

The first tear rolled down CJ's cheek as she bit her lip. What Harry said pretty much broke what was left of her reserve and her chest heaved during her first sob.

"I-I need you to… To know…" Harry continued, now back to mumbling. "I-I w-want you… You… T-to be happy…"

CJ's sobbed became louder as she stared at her brother, whose eyelids were shaking as he tried to keep them open.

"Harry…" CJ squeaked, her voice trembling with emotion.

Harry's hand suddenly moved, reaching for her own. CJ eagerly grasped her brother's hand with both of hers and squeezed tightly as the tears continued to roll down her cheeks.

"I needed you to… You needed… Y-you…" Harry muttered, before his eyes closed completely, his grip on CJ's hands weakened and he started snoring loudly.

"Harry!?" CJ exclaimed. "Harry!"

"He's asleep!" A voice from behind her said.

A second later CJ felt a hand clutch her shoulder and roughly pull her backwards, making her fall down on the stone floor.

Uma took her place on Harry's side again and tightly grasped his hand in her own, but not before glaring at CJ once again.

"Are you finally done?" An annoyed voice that belonged to Solomon asked from the doorway to his room. "Good, then we can start planning again."

"You want to start planning right after this?" Uma questioned, her eyes shooting fire.

"Don't you want revenge? I expected that you of all people would have…" Solomon began.

Uma interrupted him. "Of course I want revenge! I want Beastie Boy to feel the same pain he caused Harry!"

"Then let's deliver on that promise." Solomon stated as he rubbed his hands. "We go for baby Beast. The way to get baby Beast is to go for Mal, and to get to Mal we…"

"Go for what she cares about!" Gil finished, seemingly very proud of himself.

Everyone in the room rolled their eyes.

"And would you happen to know what she cares about?" Zevon skeptically asked.

"No, why would I?" Gil replied.

Everyone rolled their eyes again.

"Her friends, she cares about them." Uma said, her eyes not leaving Harry.

"Well, you can't just expect that we'll be able to pick them all off." Zevon retorted.

"I'm not saying that!" Uma spat.

"That's not good enough!" Solomon came in between. "We need to think bigger."

"Why don't we just start the attack?" Uma questioned.

"We're not ready, we need time to prepare." Solomon answered.

"So, what did you have in mind?" Uma retorted.

"We need a place!" Solomon thundered. "A place we can hit! A place to cause them pain!"

"You already hit the school, what more is there?" Maddy asked.

"The city." Zevon answered with a shrug.

"No, too risky and we need the city for further stages of our plan." Solomon replied.

"The harbor?" Maddy proposed.

"Why the harbor?" Uma asked incredulously.

"Do you have anything better to offer?" Maddy retorted.

"Anything would be better than that!" Uma countered.

"Come on!" Solomon shouted. "Stop this nonsense and think! There must be another place Mal cares about, or Ben for that matter!"

"I know a place." CJ said, more silent than expected.

Everyone looked at her.

"Where?" Solomon hissed.

CJ thought back to the article she had read. "It's close."


	20. Chapter 20: Conflict

**I know that it has taken a bit longer recently to write chapters, but stay tuned because I am still writing and fully intend on finishing the story.**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 20: Conflict

"Ben! Ben!" Mal yelled at the top of her lungs as she ran through the hallways of Beast Castle, her phone clutched in one hand and a very panicked Evie running behind her.

Mal had just received a message. A message so terrible that she just had to ask confirmation from Ben before jumping to any conclusions. Mal didn't want to believe what she just heard, she just couldn't.

"Ben!" Mal went on, her voice now bordering on hysterical as she picked up her pace even more.

When she finally approached Ben's office, she burst through the door without even thinking of knocking first.

Inside, Ben sat behind his desk, his face pale and his hands in his hair. Archer, Lancelot and surprisingly Chad were also in the room.

"Ben..?" Mal began, her voice stocking.

"Mal." Archer answered instead. "Mal, we…"

"Ben!" Mal shouted, pushing herself past Archer so she could stand in front of Ben. "Is… Is it t-true?" She asked with a trembling voice.

Ben looked up at her, his eyes hollow. He nodded slowly.

Mal felt as though the floor disappeared beneath her feet. This had to be her worst fear. One so horrible that she had never even considered it. Now that it had happened though, she felt as though her insides were crawling, her heart was thumping fast and unregularly and she felt as if the temperature had suddenly dropped, making the hairs on her skin stand up. She staggered backwards, the world spinning in her eyes.

When Ben saw this, he immediately ran to her from behind his desk to take her into his arms.

"Mal, please calm down! We haven't heard any official news yet! We don't know if anyone's gotten hurt! Please, we need to stay positive!" Ben urged, his voice nevertheless sounding as panicked as Mal had ever heard it.

"Stay positive? Right now?" Mal retorted.

"We can't just fall into a blind panic, it won't help anyone!" Ben pressed on.

"Ben! They attacked…" Mal began.

"I know! I know what they did! But… But we have not heard anything yet. Everyone could be fine." Ben stated, sounding vaguely hopeful.

"I have not heard anything from Dizzy!" Evie suddenly said from behind Mal. "She should have left a message! She would have, if anything happened…"

"Don't lose hope." Archer calmly stated from a corner of the room.

"Our men got to the location as fast as they could, we're doing everything we can." Lancelot piped in.

"This is just horrible." Evie mumbled as she put her hands in front of her eyes.

"Why are we still here? We should go over there." Mal said.

Archer answered before Ben could. "We have to wait for the okay to leave. We are not allowed to travel until the soldiers are sure that it's safe."

"You don't seriously expect that Solomon decided to keep hanging about?" Mal questioned.

"We can't take any risks." Archer simply replied.

"Ben, we need to go there! We need to help!" Mal shouted.

"We can't go until it's safe!" Ben said with clenched jaw. "And there's nothing that we can do. Sorry Mal, but we have to wait."

"How can you even think of waiting in a time like this?" Mal asked perplexed. "Do you even care?"

Evie gasped and Archer, Lancelot and Chad all raised their eyebrows in shock.

Ben, on the other hand, only seemed somewhat disappointed. "Of course I do. It saddens me that you could ever think otherwise."

"Please Ben, that's not what I meant." Mal groaned.

Ben simply nodded. "I know you didn't."

"I was just thinking… Wasn't our purpose to respond as quickly as possible after an attack?" Mal questioned.

"The response team proved to not be as effective as we had hoped." Archer explained. "We deduced that all it would do is unnecessarily put our soldiers at risk."

"We have instead put our efforts into forming emergency rescue and aid services, people who help those who suffered instead of looking for the culprits." Lancelot went on.

"Why haven't I heard of this?" Mal asked Ben, who got a slight blush.

"I didn't really think it necessary to bother you with this information." He replied.

"Ben, we talked about this! If I am going to be queen, I need to be brought up to speed about these things." Mal complained. "And don't you dare say that it's because I'm not queen yet!" She followed up when Ben opened his mouth.

"I just- Well, you've been under enough stress lately and I didn't think it was, ehm, well, useful to bother you with this, not for you or for anyone else." Ben replied with a slight stutter.

"You do not decide what is useful for me to hear!" Mal snapped.

Ben hung his head. "I just wanted you to finally have some rest."

Mal sighed. Of course Ben was looking out for her, when did her ever not? She softly grabbed onto his hand. "I get that you, you know, want to look out for me, but I need you to know that I can look after myself. I can protect myself! I know for myself how much I can handle, and I'll still call for you if anything's wrong."

Ben replied with something of a half-smile and softly kissed the top of her head, but said nothing.

Mal noticed how tired Ben looked, with heavy bags under his eyes, which were bloodshot as well. These times were naturally tough for him. Ever since the attack on Auradon prep Ben has hardly had a moment to rest, and Mal knew this.

Ever since the engagement, she and Ben had been allowed to sleep in one bed. Mal had spent more time alone there than she would have liked however. Ben was often up late, only getting to bed deep in the night when he would return from lengthy council meetings. In the morning, he would be up early again for even more lengthier council meetings.

Mal sometimes went to these as well, but was given permission from both Ben and his parents to skip some and she was grateful for that. Ever since she'd had to become lady of the court, council meetings had been some of her least-liked activities.

Seeing Ben this way hurt her, but she was even more frustrated because she knew there was very little she could actually do about it.

"What were you actually saying, Chad?" Lancelot suddenly asked. "Before they came in, I mean."

"Hmm?" Chad looked up confused. "Oh! Yes! So, my father sent out patrols through the woods around Charmington, but he found no one. There were some signs of small camps, empty firepits and all, but no actual evidence of any of the villains having actually been there."

"What about Yen Sid? Has he picked up any trail?" Lancelot continued.

"Nothing. If the villains had actually been there, they did not use any magic." Chad answered.

"I wouldn't expect Solomon to just use his magic frequently, he probably knows we could track him that way." Archer piped in.

"Even the magic used during the raids was a dead end." Lancelot continued. "This will probably be the case again this time."

"Are we sure that magic was used this time?" Ben asked.

"You can bet on it." Archer shrugged. "No buildings just spontaneously combust into flames."

Evie squealed in fear, making Archer scrunch up his face in regret of what he had said.

A loud ringing made everyone in the room jump up in surprise. Ben hastily grabbed the phone on his desk and put it to his ear.

"Hello, this is king Ben…" He begun.

All Mal and the others could hear was a soft murmuring from the other side of the horn and Ben's occasional confirming grunt.

"Is anyone hurt?" Ben suddenly asked, making everyone in the room hold their breath. Ben's following sigh of relief was arguably the most relieving sound Mal had ever heard.

"Alright, we'll be there as soon as we can. Thank you so much. Bye." Ben concluded the conversation and turned to the others.

"Everyone is safe. No one got hurt during the attack." Ben told the others.

Everyone sighed in relief, with Evie suddenly hugging Mal fiercely from behind.

"So, can we go there now?" Mal questioned.

"We can, the road is safe." Ben answered.

And thus, the six of them headed to the location of the most recent attack with the royal limousine. Even though Mal was massively relieved knowing that no one got hurt during the attack, she was definitely not able to share any happiness with Ben at the moment.

Mal was angry, really angry. Kidnapping her and beating her to a pulp was one thing, blowing up Auradon prep another, but now it appeared that Solomon and Uma were determined to go after everything she held dear in Auradon, and Mal decided she would not sit idly by anymore. Solomon would not stop, and all their previous plans had failed, so now it was time to go after him.

The ride did not take that long, but it felt as though the six of them were cooked up inside that limousine forever due to the fact that no one was really talking. Even Archer, who had always appeared to have something to say, remained silent.

When the limousine eventually stopped, Mal was the first one out, determined to witness what had happened with her own eyes.

Despite knowing what had happened, the sight of the destruction still made her eyes tear up.

Of the cheerful, vibrant orphanage she and Ben had created was nothing left.

The place where there used to be a large building with bright red rooftiles and half-timbered walls, was now a pile of smoldering rubble.

All the places Mal had familiarized herself with were gone. The courtyard, the lobby, the dorms, the common rooms, the dining hall… Everything was gone.

Ben stood next to Mal, seemingly lost for words, but his eyes had returned to their hollow state.

"Jesus." Archer stated as he walked up next to the pair.

A small wailing sound alerted Mal to the fact that Evie had now also walked up behind her.

Lancelot remained silent but Chad uttered a few curse words after first laying eyes on the ruined structure.

"Your highness." A man called out from the side of the pile of rubble. He was wearing the uniform of an Auradonian officer.

"Sir." Ben acknowledged, his wide gaze still not leaving the debris. "What are the details?"

"Well, your grace, as you can see there is nothing left standing. We… I mean, sir, ehm… This was magic, sir. I mean, with a normal fire there would still be foundations left, but here…"

"Solomon always liked fire." Mal said in a steely tone.

"What happened to the children?" Ben asked.

"Ehm, most were outside when it happened, the others apparently managed to make it outside. There were no casualties, your grace." The officer told them.

"Where are they now?" Ben followed up.

"We sent them to an Auradon City shelter, they'll have every convenience there." The officer answered.

"Good." Ben replied with a nod. "You all did good work."

"Has the site already been investigated?" Lancelot asked from behind Ben.

"Ehm, no, apart from searches for any possible remaining people at least." The officer responded.

"Then we should search the premises Ben, see what we can find." Lancelot told Ben, who nodded in response.

"Please tell your men to vacate the location, sir, we'll start our investigation." Ben told the officer.

The officer bowed deeply. "Naturally, your grace."

Ben turned to the others. "Do you all want to stay here? You can ride along with the officers if you want to visit the children."

"I would like that." Evie said. "This investigating stuff isn't really for me and I really need to see Dizzy."

"Naturally, just approach the officers." Ben replied.

"I'll join her." Chad said. "I don't really feel like I'd be of much use here, and I need to speak to my father."

Ben nodded and the rest of the group watched Evie and Chad walk off.

"Where do we start?" Ben asked.

"We try to locate the spell and subsequently find the exact location it originated from. From there we might be able to track whoever conjured it." Lancelot explained.

"Can we be of any help in that?" Archer asked, gesturing to Ben and himself.

"Ehm, you would do better just searching for tracks." Lancelot answered.

Archer and Ben looked at each other and shrugged.

"Guess we'll just inspect the borders of the compound." Ben said. "Let us know if you find anything."

Mal and Lancelot nodded as the other two walked off.

"What do we do? I've actually never traced magic before." Mal asked Lancelot.

"It's not that complicated actually. You just walk around, preferably with you arm stuck out, and feel." Lancelot explained.

"Feel?" Mal said in a questioning tone. "How do I just… Feel?"

"Ehm, you know the feeling of when you run a bath and then stick your hand in the water to know if the water's the right temperature?" Lancelot asked.

"Yeah?" Mal replied.

"It's kind of like that. That's how Merlin explained it to me and it actually worked out fine. Also, the spell used here must of a really powerful kind, so it technically should not be difficult to track." Lancelot pointed out.

"Okay then. Where do we begin?" Mal asked.

Lancelot did not know the precise answer to that, so he suggested that they should simply walk across the pile of ruins which had once been the orphanage, and so they did.

Mal couldn't lie to herself, it felt weird just walking there with her hand stuck out, hoping to encounter something of which she didn't even know how it would feel like yet.

Lancelot appeared to be in his element though, softly mumbling to himself as he walked around with closed eyes and a face scrunched up in concentration.

All Mal tried to do, was try to remember the sensation of sticking your hand in a tub of water, but thus far she had found little besides rubble.

For about fifteen minutes, the two of them walked around the place the building used to stand, only to come to the conclusion that there was nothing of any interest for them there.

They then headed behind the ruined building, into the fields and gardens. To Mal's dismay, she saw that these too had been scorched. Of the sports fields and the playground only remained some mangled rests and the park and vegetable gardens were still smoldering.

Mal set aside her renewed feelings of anger and continued the search for anything useful alongside Lance with her hand firmly stuck out.

Suddenly she felt something, as immediate as anything she could have ever felt. It was as if she was suddenly blasted by a gust of hot air.

"Lance! Lance, I feel something!" Mal shouted.

Not ten seconds later Lancelot had joined her by her side and raised his arm.

"There is something here…" He mumbled as he slowly waved his arm around. "This is not the place from where the spell was cast, but maybe we can track it."

And so, Mal and Lancelot followed the trail of magic, which was something Mal had never done. Despite that, she found it surprisingly easy to keep up with Lance. He gave her a few instructions, but most of it was purely intuition, and Mal was surprised that she was able to pick it up this fast.

After a few minutes, they ran into Ben and Archer, who had just been examining the area Mal and Lancelot were currently following the trail.

"Can you locate them?" Archer asked as he walked up beside them.

"That remains to be seen." Lancelot replied as he kept on walking.

Ben approached Mal and walked along next to her.

"Are… Are you feeling it?" He asked somewhat excitedly.

Mal just nodded, she really tried to keep her focus.

The magic trail led them all the way to the edge of the grounds, at which point Lancelot stopped walking.

"What? What's wrong?" Mal asked.

"The trail goes on beyond here." He answered, sounding perplexed.

"Yes, so let's follow it." Mal urged.

"What's the problem, Lance?" Archer asked, sensing that Lancelot had a reason for not continuing.

"There is a trail, why is there a trail?" Lancelot questioned.

"Does it matter? Let's follow it!" Mal again beckoned them.

"Of all the previous attacks, none left a trail. Not even the attack on the school. Every piece of magic we might have been able to track was erased. Why would this not be done now?" Lancelot said in a doubtful tone.

"They could be getting sloppy." Archer suggested. "Maybe they wanted revenge so badly for what happened to Harry Hook they overlooked some things."

"Do you actually believe that?" Lancelot asked. "After all this time, after all we've seen this Solomon do, do you think he'd ever get sloppy?"

Archer immediately shook his head. "None of the decisions he has made thus far have been sloppy."

"Also, they had vanishing potions last time." Lance offered. "If they would have used these again the trail would be shattered, but it isn't."

"Maybe they ran out?" Ben proposed. "I mean, those potions are hard enough to produce as they are, but in bulk without any resources…"

"Surely he must have planned for that." Archer interfered. "To continue on a mission like this without any sufficient matter of retreat would be idiotic."

"No offense Archer, but you don't know him." Mal interjected. "He's extremely hot headed, when he's mad he makes mistakes."

Before Archer could reply, Ben stepped in. "Listen to Mal on this one, she does have the most expertise with guy."

Archer rolled his eyes. "Okay, let's say that our enemy has actually made a mistake, what then? What is your plan?"

"We follow the trail, find him." Mal answered.

"And then what?" Archer followed up.

"We capture him. Him and the others." Mal said.

"How? Right now there's just the four of us." Archer pointed out.

"Right, so we call the others, the troops, gather a larger force." Mal proposed.

"No." Ben said, before even Archer could voice his concerns.

Mal turned to Ben. "Excuse me?"

"No, no, this is wrong." He mumbled.

"What do you mean by that?" Mal asked, the anger apparent in her voice.

"Ben realizes that this is a trap." Archer stated.

Mal looked at Ben. "Is that true?"

Ben nodded. "It all fits. This is exactly what a trap looks like. Do you see those hills?" He then asked as he pointed at the group of forest-ridden hills in front of them.

"Yeah?" Mal answered.

"Perfect spot for an ambush, father told me as such. There is no way for army, large or small to pass through easily, and if they do it won't go undetected. If there's a fight it'll be uphill, the enemy can dig in, it'd be a suicide mission." Ben explained.

"But what if it isn't a trap? What if this is our one chance to take them in?" Mal questioned.

"We can't risk it." Archer stated. "Not in this case."

"Oh, but every time you went out on your raids you could?" Mal retorted.

Both Ben and Lancelot wanted to rebut to Mal's question, but Archer was ahead of them.

"We responded to attacks then! We knew where we were heading and what the situation was. This would be a foolish expedition! We don't know where we could possibly be heading, we could end up at the coast for all we know! If this is a trap and we spring it, we'll be dead in the water." Archer ranted.

"But we can't let them escape!" Mal yelled.

"They are not escaping, they're staying exactly where they are." Archer said half-heartedly.

"But we have the opportunity to catch them!" Mal went on.

"Or to get ourselves killed." Lancelot interjected. "Mal, this is not a decision to take lightly. If we would even consider doing this it would take preparation, time."

"They could be gone any second, we shouldn't wait!" Mal almost screamed.

"Mal." Ben began, and she looked at him pleadingly. "You are being overwhelmed by your emotions right now, if you would just take some time to calm…"

"I won't calm down, Ben!" Mal replied. "Didn't you see what he did here!? What they did here!? Don't you want to make things even?"

Ben's eyes hardened for a second. "You're talking about taking revenge. Mal, I recently learned first-hand that revenge is not the answer."

"Justice is not revenge!" Mal grunted.

"It is the way you're currently thinking about it. Sorry, but we will not blindly pursue a suspicious lead." Ben continued.

"You're just going to let them walk away from this?" Mal asked, totally bewildered.

"No, we will investigate more. We will send out patrols. We will catch them, eventually." Ben replied.

"Why wait? Why risk them attacking more people when we can catch them here?" Mal went on.

"Why risk running into a trap?" Archer retorted.

"But what if it's not a trap?" Mal shot back.

"The cons outweigh the pros here." Lancelot stated. "The simple fact is that if we get caught, we'll die. We'll still have a fighting chance if we ignore this and catch them later."

"But we can prepare! We can…" Mal began.

"No!" Ben shouted, loud enough to silence Mal. "We risk too much by mindlessly attacking. Mal, I will organize a force and we will investigate more tomorrow. In the mean time, there is nothing left for us here." He said with a sad gesture to the ruins of their orphanage.

"Ben." Mal began, trying to mask the anger in her voice. "I had pleaded with you not to go along with your army. I begged you not to fight! But now…"

"Times change." Ben replied coolly.

"You promised me that you would never leave me." Mal said, her voice trembling.

"And I won't, but I can't risk this Mal." Ben almost whispered.

Mal scoffed. "I guess people change too."

Before Ben could respond, Mal turned around, almost bumped a quite distressed looking Archer and Lancelot out of the way, and walked off.

To say she was angry was an understatement. Right now, she didn't know if she was angrier with Ben or with Solomon.

The latter had finally hit her where it hurt most. For months Mal had worked on the orphanage, on moving isle kids to a location that'd be safe and which they'd enjoy. She had poured her heart and soul into the project in order to create a happier life for others. Solomon, through his own twisted ways, had erased every bit of happiness Mal had built up during that time in one fell swoop.

And now, now he had, maybe inadvertently, given them a chance to strike back. Mal didn't care if it could be a trap! All she wanted was to meat Solomon, to see him before she would let every spell, every curse she knew loose upon him.

Ben didn't see it that way. Ever since his encounter with Harry Hook he had been extremely cautious around the idea of violence. Whilst Mal could admire this trait most of the time, she did feel as though now was not a particularly good time to shy away from it.

Besides that, this was already the second time he had ignored her pleas in dealing with this war. When she had begged him not to ride out into battle, he had ignored her, saying it was for the good of the kingdom. And now that she did actually want them to go out and fight, he ignored her again, saying it was for the good of the kingdom.

Frankly, Mal was sick of it. She was sick of Ben ignoring her council and never try to understand her point of view. She was sick of never getting to do things her way anymore.

Oh, how different things had been on the isle, where she had been the leader of their gang. Back then, she would make every decision, only occasionally taking other people's council in mind. Whenever she had decided to listen to her gut though, they had always made it out well. Right now, her gut practically screamed at her to go after Solomon.

She wouldn't even need Ben, or the soldiers in his army. If she would just be allowed to gather a small crew, no more than a dozen, to hunt their enemies down, then they would not risk any unnecessary casualties. Why wouldn't Ben listen to her!?

But then Mal started thinking. If Ben was willing to ignore her for the good of the kingdom, then maybe she could do the same thing.

* * *

"You actually found a trail? And Ben didn't want to pursue it?" Jay questioned.

Mal had asked her three best friends to meet in Evie's room, which had formerly been hers as well, and discuss what had happened.

"Yep, he and Archer think it's a trap set by Solomon." Mal answered.

"Well, it could be." Carlos piped in. "It's as they said, there has never been a magic trail, so why now?"

"Solomon could have slipped up, who knows what goes on in the head of that lunatic." Mal proposed.

"M?" Evie began, making Mal look at her. "On the isle, have you ever known Solomon to slip up?"

"Well…" Mal slowly said whilst thinking deeply. "There was the robbery, and the conflict with CJ."

"That was not Solomon's doing." Carlos intervened. "Everyone's plans failed during that chaos."

"Can't you guys just support me in this?" Mal pleaded. "Don't you want revenge for what Solomon did to the orphanage, or everything else?"

This statement made an uneasy look appear on the faces of both Evie and Carlos.

"M?" Evie repeated. "We're not on the isle anymore, revenge is not something we do here."

"You sound just like Ben." Mal scoffed. "Why have you all suddenly lost your fighting spirit?"

"I haven't." Jay spoke up. "I agree with you on this one, I think we should pursue him."

"Thanks Jay." Mal replied, genuinely grateful.

"You guys, I feel really bad that we're even discussing this without Ben, and I would have expected you to think similarly." Carlos said to Mal.

"I do feel bad, but Ben isn't listening to me on this matter, or any of the previous ones." Mal replied.

"He does listen to you, M." Evie guaranteed. "But he just thinks that there are better ways to look after the kingdom."

"So, you are supporting his view in this matter?" Mal questioned.

A blush appeared on Evie's cheeks. "Well, even you have to admit this does seem like a trap."

"So what?" Mal almost yelled. "All I want to do is find him! However that happens, I'm game. I don't care if he lays out a trap, I know that we can beat him!"

All the others remained silent after Mal said that.

"Don't you think we can beat him?" Mal asked, a bit dejected.

Evie was the first to speak up. "I'm not sure, M, but I know that the stakes are high enough for us to not take any chances."

"E, if we do this we can save the kingdom without risking anyone else getting hurt." Mal urged.

"And if we fail, we give that maniac the opportunity to conquer the kingdom unopposed." Carlos replied.

"Wow, you really don't trust me, do you?" Mal asked a bit harsher than intended.

"Of course we do, but M, we also want to look at things in the bigger picture." Evie replied, her voice slightly higher than normal.

"I am looking at things in the bigger picture!" Mal snapped. "When I'm going to be queen I would like it if there would still be a kingdom to rule."

"And the kingdom would probably like it if there would be a queen left to rule them." Carlos retorted. "Mal, don't follow up on this suicide mission."

Mal stood up with a huff. "Well, nice to know you have friends to fall back on."

"M." Evie called out as Mal headed for the door.

"Never mind, E, sorry to bother you all." Mal interrupted as she stepped out into the hallway.

Her mind was racing as she started walking, not yet knowing where to.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She quickly span around, ready to face a possible attacker, only to see it was Jay who stopped her.

"What do you want? Come to tell me how wrong I am again?" Mal asked in an annoyed tone.

"No, and it would be nice if you would actually hear me out before judging." May replied.

Mal felt a hint of shame, but pushed it aside. "Okay, so what is this about?"

"I wanted to tell you that I think you're right. I believe we should pursue this lead, take the fight to them." Jay said.

"Really?" Mal exclaimed.

"Yes, we have sat by for way too long." Jay went on.

"W-why? Why do you feel this way?" Mal asked.

Jay's look darkened. "They attacked you, on the isle I mean, they took Freddie's magic, they blew up the school and the orphanage. He hurt Lonnie."

"Oh." Mal softly mumbled.

"I want payback." Jay said resolutely. "And I know some others who do so as well."


	21. Chapter 21: Pursuit

**I know that it has taken a bit longer recently to write chapters, but stay tuned because I am still writing and fully intend on finishing the story.**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 21: Pursuit

"So, how does it work exactly? Do you, ehm, just feel it?" Jay asked from beside Mal as they hiked through the forest.

"The way Lance explained it to me was to pretend to check the temperature in a bath, that's how you locate the magic. Afterwards, it just pulls you forward somehow, at least that's how I'm experiencing it." Mal answered.

She and Jay had picked up the magic trail left after the attack on the orphanage and had been tracking it for almost two hours now. Mal had started at the same place she and Lance had originally discovered the trail, but it had now taken them deep into the Auradonian hills.

Both Mal and Jay had changed into their isle attire and were carrying swords on this journey.

"I still can't feel anything." Jordan muttered, her arm still stubbornly raised.

"Well, I'm not an expert, maybe you should have tried back at the start of the trail as well." Mal replied.

"I wish I could have at least tried." Freddie said in a sour tone. "Or do anything useful really."

"You do know how to use a sword, right?" Aden asked from a little further back.

"Of course, I was raised on the isle. I was never as good as Jay though, or Mal, or Uma, or…" Freddie told the others.

"Well, good to know you at least possess some confidence." Royce said in a sarcastic tone.

"Those villains won't take me down easily." Chad boasted as he playfully swung his richly decorated sword.

"Don't underestimate them, Chad." Alex warned in his deep voice. "They will not hold back, and neither should you."

Chad scoffed lightly, but did not respond.

Mal momentarily looked back at the small group that followed her, wondering how it had all come together.

Jay had told her that he knew other people who would want to join her in her fight against Solomon. Mal was skeptical at first, and doubtful as well. Despite being convinced that she was right about this particular situation, she still did not feel confident about going behind Ben's back again.

Her mind kept flashing back to when she visited the isle without Ben knowing. Back then, she could not stop thinking about maybe not coming back and maybe never seeing Ben or her friends again.

This time however, she felt more determination than fear. For one, she was now supported by a group of loyal friends. Second, she was now in Auradon instead of the isle, so she could rely on her magic and the opposing force would be significantly smaller. Third, she was here on her own accord. If everything would go according to plan, no one on their side would get hurt.

Mal was surprised when Jay mentioned the amount of people willing to go along on her actually illegal mission, and she was even more perplexed when she found out who they actually were.

To have Aden, Royce and Alex, members of Archer's troop and close friends to Ben, say that they want to disobey their orders came as quite a shock.

Right after Jay had told her that, they had arranged a meeting with the three members of the righteous sons. If they were actually serious about joining Mal in her quest, then it was an opportunity that she could not afford to let slip.

"How are you so sure that they want to join us?" Mal asked Jay.

"While you, Ben, Archer and Lance went to investigate the orphanage, Aden, Alex and I let off some steam on the tourney field. You should have heard them talking about it all, they were furious. When the news of your investigation eventually reached us, they became even more livid. To hear that you found a trail but were not gonna pursue it kind of shocked them." Jay explained.

"They also want to chase after Solomon?" Mal followed up.

Jay nodded. "Yeah. You have to understand, they have been living in Auradon their entire life and have spent years in the army protecting it. Now that there's finally a legitimate threat, they want to handle it."

"So badly that they would go against Archer and Ben's wishes?" Mal questioned.

Jay shrugged. "I can't speak for them on that account. You can ask them yourself."

Mal and Jay had agreed to meet the three warriors underneath the bleachers of the tourney field to discuss their plan. To say Mal was a nervous wreck would be an understatement.

"If they disagree with us and go to Ben, we'll be toast." Mal stated.

"Probably, so they better agree." Jay replied.

Mal fidgeted with her sleeve a bit.

"Are you actually okay with this?" Jay asked.

"Not in the slightest." Mal answered truthfully. "Ben and I promised never to lie to each other again, I feel horrible breaking that promise."

"But if we end up catching Solomon, or Uma, it will all be worth it, right?" Jay asked semi-awkwardly.

"I hope so, I really do." Mal answered.

Jay solemnly nodded, but the look in his eyes when he stared back at the school was far from determined.

"What about you?" Mal asked. "Does Lonnie know?"

Jay shook his head. "No, she would never let me leave if she knew."

"You don't think that she would want to join?" Mal hesitantly questioned.

Jay frowned. "I'm not sure. To protect me she would definitely come along, but if it meant going against Ben… I'm not sure. But anyway, I wouldn't want her here. She's still wounded and I will not be the cause of anymore of her pain."

"You know you don't have to follow me." Mal tried to reassure him.

"Are you mad? I could never forgive myself if something happened to you out there. Don't forget that I want this as well. I will show that low-life scavenger that he should not have hurt Lonnie." Jay grunted.

Before Mal could reply, she and Jay saw the doors to the school open and several figures step out. To her astonishment, Mal did not see three, but four people head in her direction. If she hadn't been able to distinguish Alex's massive frame, she might have thought that it were other people. When the small group approached, Mal saw that Alex, Aden and Royce had been joined by Chad.

"Chad!?" Mal exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Royce spoke up before Chad could open his mouth.

"He was eavesdropping as usual and demanded to come along."

"What did you hear?" Jay asked.

Chad coughed slightly. "Ehm, well… That you are planning to go against our friend and king's orders and wish to pursue the lead at the orphanage."

"And you want to come along?" Mal questioned in a perplexed tone.

"Why so surprised?" Chad joked. "Have I not proved time and time again that I will never miss an opportunity to prove my bravery?"

The others stared at Chad with impassiveness written all over their faces.

"Okay…" Chad eventually admitted. "So, I have not been the so-called "poster boy" for bravery, that doesn't mean I'm not genuinely interested here. Believe me, I want those maniacs out of here just as much as you do."

"What about your injury?" Mal asked as she pointed at the bruise still present on Chad's head.

"I can manage, it's nothing life threatening." Chad shrugged.

Mal looked at Jay for support.

Jay shrugged. "Well, an extra sword wouldn't hurt and Chad does know how to use one to a certain extend."

Chad looked semi-offended but did not respond.

"Okay, but not a word of this to anyone!" Mal threatened.

"Hey, my lips are sealed." Chad assured her as he threw away an imaginary key.

"And you…" Mal started as she turned to the righteous sons, "Are you sure about this? You do know that you're going against Archer and Ben?"

"We know." Aden began, "but we have had a lengthy discussion on this and we agree with you. If there is a chance of catching them here and now, and thus avoiding more unnecessary casualties, we're in."

"It is time we put a stop to them." Alex said in his deep voice.

"Revenge is not something we usually dabble in." Royce stated, "But they have gone too far. What they did to the school, and… and to Ruby… I can't let it slide."

"We want justice." Aden jumped in. "For everything that has happened to our families, and those we love."

"And if anything, it's to protect you as well." Alex stated. "We pledged ourselves to you, Mal, your will is our command."

"Even if it goes against Ben?" Mal hesitantly asked.

"The rulebook on oaths is not very detailed in that aspect." Royce answered. "We kind of find ourselves in a unique situation."

"In any case, it will help us defend our case if either Ben or Archer confronts us afterwards." Aden added.

"You don't happen to have already discussed this with Archer?" Jay asked.

"This one instance, he does not take kindly to our council." Alex answered. "He is convinced that his is the correct way and Archer can be very stubborn when he is convinced of something."

"He is convinced it's a trap." Aden said, "But every time we try to think of plans to go around it he dismisses them."

"Something in him has changed." Alex added, "It's almost as if the prospect of renewed violence scares him now."

"It has something to do with that entire Ben and Harry Hook business, it must have." Royce joined in.

"It is only understandable that he does not want anymore blood on his hands." Alex retorted.

"Yes, but he has also not been against using violence to protect those you love." Royce said.

"Guys!" Mal spoke up when both Aden and Alex wanted to respond. "Sorry, but if you are actually serious about joining us here we do need to leave as soon as possible."

The others nodded solemnly.

"Everyone needs to grab their weapons and meet us at the garage in five, we take the limo to the orphanage from where I will pick up the trail again." Mal explained.

"Where did the trail lead to exactly?" Aden asked.

"Into the hills, I was not able to pinpoint anything directly yet." Mal answered.

"Do you intend our journey to span more than one day? If so, we may need to pack some food and other supplies." Alex proposed.

Mal was somewhat speechless as she stared at Jay for some support. The thought that the journey would maybe take more than a day had not yet even occurred to her.

"Only some necessary supplies." Jay answered for Mal, "We travel light and fast, we don't want to become sitting ducks."

"Do you think that they'll notice us? A group of six within a dense forest?" Royce questioned.

"The hills do provide natural shelter for any defending party, which we are sadly not. Furthermore, there are not many routes through those woods, man-made or otherwise, they should be able to cover those relatively easily." Alex told the others.

"Don't forget they can teleport with those potions of them." Aden jumped in. "Archer said himself that they are able to vanish at a moment's notice."

"We don't know if they still have any potions. They could have already run out of those." Mal retorted.

"But still, don't we also not know how many of them there actually are?" Chad questioned, making everyone look at him. "I mean, there could be tens of them without us knowing, right? We could walk into a slaughter." He added.

"If we plan things correctly, we'll be able to lock in a tight perimeter, even if there are only six of us." Alex explained.

"Maybe more." Royce suddenly said.

Everyone looked at him.

"What?" Mal asked.

"There is someone on the bleachers right above us. They used an invisibility spell but still manage to breathe louder than a marathon dog." Royce replied as he looked up at the bleachers.

The others looked as well, but saw nothing.

"Reveal yourself!" Royce said with authority. "I know you're there and I would really hate to get antsy."

All of a sudden, two people appeared right above Mal with a small popping sound. Freddie and Jordan.

"Freddie! Jordan! What are you doing here?" Mal exclaimed.

Both girls blushed heavily, looked at each other and then climbed down the bleachers to join up with the rest of the group.

"We followed you." Freddie mumbled.

"Wha- What? How?" Mal asked indignantly.

"We were on our way to Alex's room when we saw him leave with Aden and Royce." Jordan began to explain. "We overheard some of what they said and then Chad joined up with them as well."

"Not because we so desperately wanted him to." Royce mumbled.

"We were able to hear even more, about what they were planning, and then we saw you and Jay stand here from a distance." Jordan finished.

"And you decided to eavesdrop?" Mal asked bluntly.

"Well, yeah." Freddie answered. "What you all said sounded really interesting."

"You even used an invisibility spell, really?" Mal whined.

"Well, we couldn't actually run up to you all just like that." Jordan shrugged. "So, yes I spelled Freddie and myself so we could listen."

"And what did you hear?" Jay asked.

"Everything." Freddie answered.

Mal felt a lump in her throat. What were they gonna do now?

"So, what now?" Jay asked in an aggressive tone. "Are you going to turn us in?"

"No." Freddie replied coldly as she crossed her arms. "I for one was actually planning on joining you."

"What?" Everyone, including Jordan, exclaimed.

"Y-you want to join us? Come along?" Mal asked.

"Yes." Freddie said determinedly. "You are going to hunt down Solomon and I want to do whatever I can to help you."

Mal stared at Freddie with wide eyes. "Freddie, are you sure?"

"That bastard took my magic." Freddie grunted with a steely expression. "I want him as far away from here as possible."

Everyone stared at her, not saying a word, before Alex was the first to turn to Jordan.

"What about you?" He asked.

Jordan looked like a dear caught in headlights, staring fearfully from one person to another. "I-I… I d-don't know…"

"Are you going to tell Ben?" Mal hesitantly asked.

Jordan stared at her. "Well… No! No, of course not! Mal, you are also my friend!"

"What we're doing here borders on high treason, you know that right?" Mal questioned.

"Well… Yeah… B-but you… You are doing this for a righteous cause, right? You don't want anymore people getting hurt." Jordan stuttered.

"Exactly." Mal answered.

"Well, in that case I will be coming along as well." Jordan resolutely said.

"You're joking." Alex exclaimed. "You are not a fighter, Jordan."

"I am perfectly capable of handling myself." Jordan snapped back. "And don't forget what I can do that none of you can." She added as she conjured up red sparks out of her hands.

Everyone was speechless for a short amount of time.

"She has a point." Royce eventually said. "And, well, a little more magic could not hurt, or a little isle spirit." He added with a look at Freddie.

"This mission will probably be highly dangerous, you have every reason to back out." Mal reassured the two girls.

"Mal, I can't let you go out against him and Uma again. If something happens, I will be by your side." Freddie stated.

"And, well, I care too. Auradon is my home and I want to defend it." Jordan said in a slightly higher tone than usual.

"Freddie, you are still hurt." Jay said.

"Physically, there's nothing wrong with me." Freddie retorted. "I can run, jump and kick as well as the next person."

"All of you!" Mal suddenly shouted, making everyone look at her in surprise. "What we're doing here will be highly dangerous. I am not asking any of you to join me! I will not hold any hard feeling against you, should you decide to leave. I just need to know that you know what you're signing up for."

"We follow you, Mal." Jay said. "We know the dangers, at least I do, we're with you."

"We're with you." Freddie reassured her.

"We'll follow you." Aden joined in.

And so, Mal and her seven compatriots had begun their journey through the Auradonian hills. All of them carried weapons, except for Jordan who simply relied on her magic, and a few other supplies including a little food and some others.

So far, they had not yet run into anything peculiar. The only way that Mal knew that they were still heading in the right direction was the trail of magic she was still following.

"I have not seen any sign that they've actually gone through here." Aden said from Mal's side as he studied the ground.

"No tracks, nothing." Royce confirmed. "These guys are like ghosts."

"Worse than ghosts really." Mal replied, her hand still raised.

"Hey, Mal?" Chad asked.

"Hmm?" Mal replied.

"How long do you think this will go on for? I mean, we've been walking for over two hours." Chad questioned.

"I'm just following a trail, I don't know where it ends." Mal answered.

"So we could technically be walking here until winter is what you're saying?" Chad complained.

"If that is what it takes, yes!" Mal grunted.

"Lovely." Chad mumbled.

"Let's hope those assholes show up soon." Freddie complained. "We don't have hills on the isle, there are more blisters than toes on my feet at this point."

"Are you not enjoying the beautiful nature?" Royce asked with a sarcastic smile.

"I can do that plenty from my window at Auradon prep, thank you very much." Freddie responded.

"Mal?" Aden asked as he started walking beside her.

"Yeah?" Mal replied.

"Ehm, say that we follow this trail to its end and we come up empty-handed, what do we do then?" He asked.

"We look around, see what else we can find." Mal answered apathetically.

"You do have to realize that there's a chance we won't find anything." Aden went on.

"If we don't find anything, we all live, go back to Auradon prep and forget this ever happened." Mal snapped back somewhat panicky.

Aden raised his eyebrows but did not respond, instead walking back over to Royce.

Mal had obviously already realized that there was a chance that they wouldn't find anything, which in some way was actually her most desired outcome of all this.

Right now, the thing she wanted most was for her friends to remain safe. The best way to accomplish that was to avoid any possibly violent confrontations.

Opposed to this, there was a small voice in the back of her head that kept feeding into her hatred for Solomon. This voice kept reminding her about everything that had happened; how she had been tortured on the isle, how the school had been blown up and multiple of her friends had been put in the hospital and how her beloved orphanage had been turned into rubble.

Solomon had caused all this pain and misery inside her, and she felt as if returning some of that pain would feel as good to her as an entire bucket of strawberries.

The magic trail Mal was following suddenly took a turn towards a much steeper part of the Auradonian hills.

"Guys? The trail is leading here." Mal announced to the others.

"Where? Down?" Jay asked.

"Yep." Mal answered, her arm still raised.

"There's a river over there, do you think they might have crossed it?" Alex asked.

"I don't know, we'd need to get down if we want to find out." Mal replied.

"It's a steep climb." Royce said as he inspected the hill. "I doubt we'd get back up easily."

"If the trail leads there we would not need to get back up, right?" Jordan questioned.

"That river is too broad, we can't cross it." Aden said as he looked further on.

"We can find a shallower part if that's what it takes. Come on guys, at least you know how to swim." Freddie joked.

"Mal? Would you mind if one of us went ahead, just to scope things out?" Aden asked.

"Why?" Mal retorted.

"Well, it's like Royce said, we can't get back up easily. Let one of us go down and search for a potential way to cross. That way we don't all have to climb back up should there not be a suitable route." Aden explained.

"Yeah, okay. That's probably a good idea." Mal admitted.

"I'll go. All of you just look around for more tracks, I'll be back in about ten." Royce stated before heading down the hill.

The rest of the group simply looked on as Royce scrambled down, sometimes even needing to slide on the steep terrain.

"You wouldn't happen to have noticed anything out of the ordinary yet?" Jay asked Alex and Aden.

"Nothing, it doesn't seem like there's been anyone here for months." Alex replied as he looked around the forest.

"I actually studied the map." Aden said as he pulled a folded piece of paper out of his satchel. "And, well, there's a couple of small buildings reported to be in this relative vicinity."

"What buildings?" Mal questioned. "And why only tell us now?"

"I first wanted to see where the trail would lead us." Aden shrugged. "And, well, there are a few buildings, all long abandoned. There are some old hunting shacks, a small mine, an abandoned farm and a fishing hut."

"Are those all around here?" Mal asked.

"Yep, in walking distance at least." Aden answered.

"Alright, if we come up empty-handed here we'll check those out as well. If there are any leads we'll find them." Mal stated.

"Fun, more walking." Freddie murmured.

"Call out for the bad guys if you want, maybe they'll take away some of the boredom." Chad joked.

Before Freddie could reply, a loud whistle was heard from below. Everyone looked down and they saw Royce standing near the edge of the large river.

"There's a shallow part further down south, we can easily cross there if we want." He shouted to the people at the top.

Aden simply raised his thumb before turning to the others.

"Do you want to head down, Mal?" He asked.

Mal nodded. "We follow the trail first."

And so, the rest of the group began the climb down. Even after seeing the ridge herself and seeing Royce make the journey, Mal was surprised at how difficult it was.

The ground of the hillside was either covered in slippery patches of grass or treacherous rocks, of which you could not be certain if it was solid or not. Still, Mal was agile enough to be able to keep her balance and occasionally make a small jump or slide down a bit.

She was eventually the third person to reach the bottom, after Jay and Aden, and had to wait for the rest to finish the climb down.

After Jordan set foot on the ground as the last person, Mal raised her arm again to find the magic trail. It took barely three seconds before she once again felt the now familiar feel of magic flowing through her, and she set out again.

The trail appeared to lead right into the river. Mal kept on following it, expecting the trail to unexpectedly divert either left or right, but that didn't happen. Just when Mal started to have the perplexed thought that the magic trail might lead straight into the river, something else happened.

The trail stopped.

It just stopped.

To say Mal was surprised was an understatement. She had tracked this magic trail for hours and over numerous tree-covered hills, only to come to a standstill by a river. Mal tried to find the trail again, convinced that it still had to be present somewhere. When she found nothing, she started to furiously shake her arm in a desperate attempt to somehow force the magic to appear.

"What's wrong?" Jay asked.

"I-I can't feel the trail anymore." Mal replied, still shaking her arm.

"What do you mean?" Aden asked as he walked up beside her.

"The trail… It's gone." Mal grunted.

"Gone? Like… Disappeared?" Aden questioned.

"No. It… Just… Stopped." Mal answered, still waving her arm.

"It stopped? Here?" Freddie asked as she looked around. "Not much of a hangout."

"Maybe they erased the rest of it." Royce proposed.

"Then why is there still any of the trail left?" Aden retorted.

"Why should I know what goes around in villain's minds?" Royce snapped.

"Guys!" Jay shouted. "Come on, just… look around a bit. Let's see if we can find something."

"Jay, have you looked around? There's nothing here. It's just a river and some hills." Royce said.

"They have to be around here!" Mal grunted, still failing to conjure up any sort of magic trail.

"We can take a look at those buildings, Mal." Aden proposed. "This seems like a dead end. There's no point in crossing the river if there is no trail to follow."

"Yeah, come on Mal. The villains aren't here." Jay added.

"Are you sure about that?" A cold, heartless voice said from behind Mal.

Mal instantaneously turned around, almost snapping her neck in her effort to look back as fast as possible.

Solomon stood at the base of the hill they just climbed down, his hands folded behind his back and his black eyes gleaming in amusement.

All the members of Mal's group reacted simultaneously, with everyone unsheathing their swords, Royce placing an arrow on his bow, and taking an apprehensive stance around Mal, who only vaguely realized that they all acted protectively around her.

Mal could not answer, she was only able to breathe heavily. Now that the moment was here, the moment where she stood eye to eye with her most hated enemy, most thoughts had been erased from her mind.

She remembered all too well how he had looked when they were both still on the isle, now, almost two years since she had last seen him, he had slightly changed. His face was paler, with deep bags under his dark eyes and the scar his father had given him arguably more visible than it used to be.

"Nice little group you organized here, Mal." Solomon sarcastically complemented as he took one step forward.

Royce pulled his bow even more steady and Mal saw Aden slowly reach for a knife attached to his belt.

"So, this was a trap?" Jay suddenly asked, startling Mal a little.

"Oh, most definitely." Solomon answered. "Very perceptive of you, Jay."

"And you expect to take us on alone?" Aden provoked, also taking one step forward.

"Who said I was alone?" Solomon said with a grin.


	22. Chapter 22: Bait

**I know that it has taken a bit longer recently to write chapters, but stay tuned because I am still writing and fully intend on finishing the story.**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 22: Bait

"So, that's done." Solomon said rubbing his hands as he entered the watch tower.

He looked content, which was the first indication for CJ that his goal of destroying the orphanage was a complete success. Zevon and Maddy had joined him and now remained at the site to see if their enemies would take the bait Solomon had left behind in the form of a magic trail.

CJ, along with Uma, Gil, Clay, Anthony and the two nameless pirates had remained in the tower, anxiously awaiting Solomon's return.

Harry was not present downstairs. Ever since his attack he had mostly been resting on the roof, where the sunlight and fresh air helped his recovery.

CJ had not had a chance to talk to him yet ever since Harry had made a heartfelt confession to her when he had been all drugged up. Every time CJ wanted to approach him, Uma seemed to have already reserved Harry for herself somewhat.

"The orphanage is gone?" Uma asked.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't." Solomon replied with a hint of annoyance.

"How did you do it this time?" Clay asked from one corner.

"Fire, and lots of it. There's nothing of the building left standing so it will take a while to rebuild." Solomon explained.

"And the kids?" Uma asked. "What about the little runts?"

"They scattered. I gave them the time to run off to Auradon City." Solomon replied.

"You could have maybe at least hurt them a little." Uma mumbled. "They betrayed their own kind."

"Ouch, that's harsh Uma." Solomon grinned. "Who would have expected you to be so cruel?"

"You know damn well how cruel I can be! So Horns, when's the next stage of our plan?" Uma went on.

"Soon. Our enemies will come to investigate the site and will most likely pick up the trail I left behind. Zevon and Maddy will report back to us when they do. Once they start moving we can get into place." Solomon explained.

"How do you know they'll follow the trail?" CJ asked from one of the roof beams.

Solomon sighed. "Because, unlike you, I possess the necessary intellect to predict at least some movement of my enemies. Furthermore, after what king Baby Beast did to our beloved Harry, I doubt he'll let up after he sees what I've done now."

Everyone snickered a little after Solomon's insult, and CJ did not feel the need to respond any further.

"I still have some questions about the location of our trap, Uma." Solomon stated. "When I got there, I saw that there was a way south, pretty easily accessible."

"If we act fast, and you're as good with your magic as you claim to be, it won't matter. I push into them from the river, you and the others from every other side, they will have nowhere to go." Uma replied.

"If they break through our lines they'll have a clear escape." Solomon retorted.

"So, make sure they don't." Uma snapped. "You claim to be the most powerful villain of all time, so what are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything! Failure, however, is something that will not be profitable for the cause and I therefore wish to avoid it." Solomon spat.

"Fine, whatever suits you." Uma lazily replied.

"I need you all to take this seriously!" Solomon shouted to everyone present. "If this mission succeeds, there will be nothing in the way of our conquest of Auradon."

"Please explain to us again how this will accomplish that?" Anthony lazily asked. "Don't they, you know, have entire armies and stuff?"

"Baby Beast is their king, and Mal supposedly their future queen. If we capture them, we give the rest no choice but to surrender." Solomon explained.

"Will they surrender? Even if it means dooming the entire kingdom?" Clay questioned.

"In the best-case scenario, yes." Solomon replied.

"What's the worst-case scenario?" Anthony asked.

"The Auradonians take up arms against us, in which case we dispose ourselves of our prisoners. We would then be forced however to call in Harriet a bit sooner, we are not yet prepared for a full-on war." Solomon went on.

"Prisoners?" Uma remarked. "You aim to capture more than just Beastie Boy?"

"I do." Solomon acknowledged.

"Nice of you to tell us." Clay complained. "You may not have noticed in your private suite, but we're not really overflowing in prison cells at the moment."

"Whatever amount of prisoners we take, it won't matter. It's about who we take prisoner." Solomon told the others.

"Let me guess, Mal is among them." Clay lazily teased.

"She is." Solomon confirmed.

"Of course she is!" Clay laughed. "Always an excuse to get your girlfriend on board."

Solomon slammed the table Clay had his feet on, causing Clay to fall back in spectacular fashion and hitting his head hard on the stone floor.

"Hey!" Anthony yelled as he sprang up.

Solomon quickly grabbed his dagger and held it to Anthony's throat. "One… Fucking… Word…" He panted. "Give me an excuse and I will do it."

Anthony gulped and slowly backed up. "Nothing." He mumbled.

"Good." Solomon said as he put away his dagger.

Clay, in the meantime, had scrambled back up and looked at Solomon with cold fury.

"Anything from you?" Solomon asked.

"Nothing, sir." Clay replied with as much contempt as possible put into the last word.

"If you boys could remain level-headed for one second…" Uma began, "Maybe then you can tell us who else we will take prisoner."

Solomon gave one last dirty look at Anthony and Clay, before directing himself to Uma.

"Mal and Baby Beast are our priority. They are the leaders of their army and without them the resistance will crumble." Solomon explained.

"Is Mal really that important?" Uma asked.

"For Baby Beast she is." Solomon answered. "What matters is that we use the love they have for each other against them. As I said before, the fact that they care will be their downfall."

"So, hypothetically, if we only take Mal prisoner, we use her to get Beastie Boy on board?" Uma asked.

"Exactly. And while Mal is here, I might as well strip her of her magic, get rid of yet another nuisance." Solomon said.

"Ooh, how very cruel." Uma said with obvious glee.

"Precisely. The brat will finally get what she deserves." Solomon practically whispered.

Uma stroked her chin. "Well, Horns, not that I wouldn't love to see our dear Mal suffer, but how are we going to restrain her? She may be a bitch, but her magic is powerful."

"I have this." Solomon said as he took a small trinket out of his pocket.

Even CJ bent down a little over her roof beam to look at the item in Solomon's hand more closely.

"A medallion?" Uma questioned.

"An amulet." Solomon corrected. "It contains a powerful spell which will render all magical abilities of its wearer useless. Let's call it an old heirloom from my father."

"You never thought that it would be useful to mention to us that you have that thing?" Clay asked annoyedly.

"It's not proven useful thus far. Just be glad that I do have it in my possession!" Solomon snapped.

Clay refrained from making any further comments.

"So, we'll capture Mal to take her magic and Beastie Boy to ransom the kingdom?" Uma clarified.

"Exactly, the others that we'll be taking prisoner will simply be for our amusement." Solomon replied.

"Others?" Uma asked.

"Actually, everyone from the isle we can get our hands on. Jay, Carlos, Evie, Freddie… All of them deserve what's coming for betraying us."

"Excellent." Uma grinned.

"What about the rest?" A voice suddenly called out.

CJ span around on her roof beam so fast that she almost fell off.

Harry Hook stood near the top of the winding stairs, his face still covered in bandages and scares, one hand supporting him on the wall to his left and a hollow look in his eyes.

"Harry!? You shouldn't walk around yet!" Uma yelled as she stood up and headed for the stairs.

"I feel fine, Uma." Harry grunted as he slowly started moving down the stairs.

"Harry…" CJ mumbled, barely audible.

Uma rushed to the stairs to help Harry, who did accept the arm she put around his shoulders.

"Feeling better?" Solomon asked without any compassion.

"No, but I don't care anymore." Harry grunted.

"Why did you come down here?" Solomon continued.

"Because I'm coming." Harry replied.

"Not a chance!" Both Solomon and Uma simultaneously snapped.

"You're still recovering." Uma urged Harry. "You're in no shape to fight."

"You have no idea what I'm capable of." Harry groaned.

"You can barely walk. You would be a liability out there." Solomon said.

Harry raised a trembling finger. "I can decide for myself when I can fight or not!"

"I cannot allow you to jeopardize this mission." Solomon replied.

"I won't j-jeopardize nothing…" Harry slurred a bit.

"Harry…" Uma groaned.

"Uma, let me do this. Let me show them that I will not sit idly by. Let me show them our wrath!" Harry grunted.

Uma bit her lip as she looked at Harry. "I can look out for him." She told Solomon.

Solomon raised his eyebrows. "You? You can look out for him?"

"He is my first mate, my crew, my responsibility. I will make sure he does not screw up." Uma assured Solomon.

"All without failing to do your own part?" Solomon questioned, crossing his arms.

"Yes." Uma resolutely answered.

Solomon sighed. "Well, fine. If you make sure he doesn't fuck up, I can allow our bandaged friend to join us."

"Dick." Harry mumbled, as Uma placed him in her now empty seat.

"I believe you were saying something before so elegantly descending the stairs, Hook." Anthony said.

Instead of looking back at Anthony, Harry turned to Solomon. "You want to capture the king, Mal and the others… But what about the others?"

"The others?" Solomon questioned.

"They will not be alone." Harry said. "They have friends from Auradon, what do we do with them?"

Solomon shrugged. "I couldn't really care less. Pick your favorite and kill them if you want to."

"We can pick who we kill?" Gil asked from his corner.

"Yes, Gil. Have you not been listening?" Solomon reacted, visibly annoyed.

"I want that guy with the knives, he threw one into my leg." Gil said, visibly excited.

"Good for you." Solomon replied. "And what about you? Harry? Uma?"

"I only want Mal." Uma said darkly. "When we set our trap, I want to be the one who captures her."

"Get in line." Solomon replied. "You are not the only one who carries grudges against Mal."

"Why don't you focus on the king you so badly want captured." Uma retorted. "Leave Mal to me."

Solomon shrugged. "Fine, but know that I will laugh if you don't succeed."

"How very supportive of you." Uma sarcastically replied.

"I want Jay." Harry mumbled. "That bastard threw my hook into the sea last time on the isle."

"You're still caught up about that?" Solomon asked with a slight laugh.

"Well, you have both claimed Mal and the king, who else should I pick?" Harry reacted.

"Fair enough." Solomon acknowledged.

CJ chose this moment to swing down from her roof beam.

"I want that Archer guy." She confidently told the others.

Everyone stared at her.

"You want what?" Solomon asked.

"That Archer guy. The swordsman from the isle." CJ told him.

Everyone but Harry stared at her for a second, before starting to laugh loudly.

"What's so funny?" CJ asked, genuinely confused.

"Ooh nothing." Uma chuckled. "Your confidence is just so adorable."

CJ felt her anger rise. "Please enlighten me!" She yelled with both a sarcastic and an angry undertone.

"You're telling us that you want to go after the supposedly greatest swordsman in the world?" Uma asked in an amused tone.

"On the isle, he was the only one who ever beat me. I deserve my revenge." CJ said with a slight blush.

"And you think that you can take him?" Solomon questioned, he too seemed amused.

"I can take anyone. I don't see what's so special about him." CJ reacted.

Solomon spoke up before anyone could react. "Well, sure CJ! If we encounter him, you will have the honor of defeating, ehm, what's his name again?"

"Archer." CJ grunted.

"Right. Well, do your worst out there." Solomon grinned.

CJ scoffed. "You bastard."

"Ouch, the name-calling, even when I'm just looking out for you." Solomon joked.

"You know what, I don't even care. Just leave that Archer guy to me!" CJ snapped.

"Oh, I wouldn't dare get in your way." Solomon grinned. "Uma, do you see how serious she is?"

"Oh, I do Horns." Uma replied. "If I was that Archer I'd be shitting my pants."

CJ had heard enough and walked back towards the stairs, aiming to simply spend another afternoon away from the crew she hated.

"We'll call you back down when we have things to discuss!" Solomon called after her. "Why don't you go fantasize a bit more in the mean time?"

CJ angrily slammed the door to her roof shut for what felt as about the millionth time already. If she had to endure any more of that sort of ridicule from the others she honestly felt like pulling her hair out. It was so damn frustrating to having to keep associating herself with those people. The people who she hated and who hated her in return. It was even more frustrating to know that she had absolutely no other choice than to keep enduring their constant mockery of her, simply because everyone else in Auradon wanted her dead or sent back to the isle.

Besides frustrating, that realization also made CJ immeasurably sad. Right now, there was no one in the world who loved her. No one who would care if something bad happened to her. No one to possibly mourn her untimely death.

Harry would maybe care, CJ thought to herself. Right now, he was being consumed by feelings of anger and revenge towards the king and other Auradonians, but otherwise he would most likely still look out for her.

CJ also still vaguely held the hope that Freddie might still care for her. Back on the isle she had tried to help CJ, but was simply unable to. How different would Freddie react however if she found out about CJ's part in destroying Auradon? If not for CJ's tip, Solomon would not have gone after the orphanage…

CJ regretted telling Solomon of this pretty much from the start. It was just that when she did tell him, it was because she had just seen Harry in his beaten-up state. A part of her wanted payback for what was done to him, and so she told Solomon about the one place she knew Mal would hold dear as a means of revenge.

Now, after having had some time to reflect, CJ wished she had never mentioned what she had read in that newspaper. If anything, it most likely destroyed any possibility she might still have had of reconciling with Freddie.

The simple fact as to why CJ wanted to reconcile with Freddie was because she suspected that there was no one else on the planet who could possibly still care for her.

The door to the rooftop opened, and CJ saw Harry slowly come up onto the roof and shuffle towards his makeshift bed.

"Hey." CJ called out.

Harry didn't reply, instead falling down heavily onto his bed and groaning loudly.

CJ stood up and approached her brother.

"How are you feeling?" CJ asked in a kind tone once she stood next to him.

"Why should you care?" Harry grunted, his eyes closed.

CJ was a bit surprised at this grumpy reaction.

"What? Can't I check up on my brother?" She questioned in a joking manner.

"Oh, so you do remember that I'm your brother!?" Harry snapped.

Now CJ was absolutely perplexed. Why was Harry talking to her this way?

"Harry, what's wrong?" CJ asked.

Harry scoffed. "Now all of the sudden you care?"

CJ raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"I tried to help you, but no, it was never good enough for the high and mighty CJ!" Harry exclaimed.

Anger flashed through CJ's mind. "I thought that we-"

Harry interrupted her. "So, you made it pretty damn clear that you did not want to see me again! I must say, it has been very peaceful without your constant yammering! If it's alright with you, I would like to keep staying away from you!"

This rant effectively silenced CJ, who could now only look at Harry with wide eyes as he turned on his side, away from CJ.

"What you said…" CJ began, her voice trembling. "After you were attacked. Did that mean nothing?"

Harry turned back around. "What I said?" He questioned. "I didn't say anything. I can't remember shite from that entire fucking day."

CJ was stunned. "Nothing?" She asked.

Instead of answering, Harry just brusquely turned around on his side again, literally giving CJ the cold shoulder.

CJ was perplexed. And outraged. And a little heartbroken.

"Did you actually forget?" CJ asked, her voice trembling a bit from the withheld anger.

Harry just groaned.

"Don't you want to know what you told me?" CJ grunted.

"I believe you told me to stop trying to get involved with your life." Harry snapped, his voice a bit muffled from still laying on his side.

"Well, yeah but…" CJ began.

"Then I won't bother you anymore, just like you wanted!" Harry spat.

"Harry!" CJ exclaimed.

"Go! Leave me be!" Harry groaned.

Well, that exchange was most likely enough to destroy whatever CJ still had left as hope for a positive future. She stood up in a daze, completely demoralized. The small sparkle of hope that had been ignited inside her after Harry made a heartfelt confession of love on his sick bed had now been effectively put out.

The question about where she would go now that Harry wanted her gone was not one she could answer from the top of her head, but leaving the roof of the tower was a start.

Still relatively baffled, CJ opened the door and walked down the stairs. When she eventually reached the bottom, she did not even hear the insult Uma undoubtedly threw at her head. Instead of staying inside with all those despicable people, CJ headed out.

The crew was allowed to wander outside, as long as they stayed within about a few yards around the tower.

CJ let herself slide down the side of the tower and sat down its base, overlooking the valley in front of her.

Her mind was completely blank. At the moment, CJ felt as if any thought she could possibly have could only hurt her more, so thinking about nothing was pretty much a respite.

With her mind set on nothing and the mental exhaustion of the previous day taking their toll, it did not take long for CJ to fall asleep.

* * *

"Wake up!" A voice yelled.

CJ felt a kick to her side, making her tumble sideward, and she opened her eyes. She was still on the spot near the base of the tower where she had previously fallen asleep. When she looked up, she saw Uma standing in front of her, an annoyed and disgusted look on her face.

"What?" CJ mumbled groggily.

"Mal took the bait, we're heading into action." Uma answered stiffly.

"She took the bait!?" CJ asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yes. Now get your things, we will not wait for you!" Uma snapped.

CJ immediately sprung up and headed back into the tower. Most of the others were also inside, but were preparing to head out.

Gil, Anthony and one pirate all walked past her with their weapons on display, Clay quickly cleaned his shotgun one more time and Solomon and Zevon stood in one corner having a loud discussion. It appeared as though Solomon wanted Zevon to do something, which the latter would rather not do.

CJ walked past everyone and head up the stairs. On her way to the roof, Harry stepped through the door and headed down. His face was still bruised and swollen on some places, with several bandages and lines of thread adorning his features. His eyes were not glossy anymore though, far from it really. He held his hook in his left hand and his sword hung in his scabbard.

Both CJ and her brother said nothing as they passed each other on the stairs, both probably feeling like there was nothing left to be said.

Once upstairs, CJ ran over to her nest and gathered all her necessities. She put her sword in her scabbard, grabbed some snacks, her pocket watch and her stolen lighter. After quickly checking if she had taken everything necessary, she dashed down again to join up with the others.

Everyone stood outside, with Solomon in the middle.

"Everyone." He called out after noticing CJ had also joined the group. "According to Maddy and Zevon, a small group of our enemies has taken the bait and are now following the trail I set out. There is good news and bad news here. The good news is that the group is actually smaller than anticipated and should thus be easier to dispatch of than previously thought."

"What's the bad news?" Clay asked.

"Let him finish speaking!" Maddy hissed.

"The bad news…" Solomon came in between, "Is that Baby Beast is not among the group, they are being led by Mal."

"The king is not with the group?" Anthony asked.

"He is not, it appeared as though Mal was acting out of free will when we saw her leave." Zevon explained.

"This ambush will still be worth while though." Solomon said. "Through Mal, we can get to Baby Beast and I can still take her magic."

"Fine, who are with her?" Anthony asked.

"Seven others." Zevon said. "Jay and Freddie were among them but we didn't recognize the others."

CJ felt a stab of despair. Freddie was with Mal!?

"Only Jay and Freddie, not Evie, or Carlos?" Uma asked.

"No, they weren't there." Maddy piped in.

"Interesting, maybe there was a little squabble within their group." Uma grinned.

"Did you see the swordsman?" Solomon asked.

"No, sir." Both Zevon and Maddy answered.

Solomon turned to CJ with a maniacal grin. "It appears you need to find someone else to suffer your wrath."

Everyone in the group laughed again but all CJ did was scoff.

"Fine, we teleport there now. Does everyone have their vanishing potions?" Solomon asked.

Everyone checked their satchels.

"One left." Zevon said.

"None." Yelled Clay.

"Zero." Anthony joined in.

"I still have one." Uma called out.

"One." CJ confirmed.

"None." Harry grunted.

"One." Maddy said.

"I have three!" Gil happily yelled out.

Both pirates just shook their heads.

"Gil, give two of your potions to Anthony and Clay. We'll travel in pairs! That way we'll still have enough left to get back here. Uma, you're with me!"

And so, everyone teamed up. Harry and Gil, Anthony and Clay, Zevon and Maddy and the two pirates, leaving CJ alone once again.

"What do I do?" CJ asked.

"We'll figure something out afterwards. Now just get to the location!" Solomon said before throwing his potion to the ground, making him and Uma vanish.

Everyone followed their example, throwing their potions to the ground and disappearing into thin air. CJ went along with it, tossing her potion and down and concentrating on the location that had previously been named as the meeting point to the entire group.

One second of nauseating flashing colors and feeling of weightlessness followed before CJ felt steady ground under her feet again and she stood at the foot of a relatively steep hill.

The others had already arrived and were inspecting their surroundings.

"Where will they be coming from?" Clay asked.

"From up the hill. If everything goes right, we'll have them in a funnel with Uma blocking the river." Solomon explained.

"So, where will we be?" Clay asked.

"Hidden on the other side of the river." Solomon said as he pointed. "Out of view for them when they approach, you will be able to quickly descend your fill whereas they won't be able to rapidly climb up theirs, therefore trapping them."

Solomon went on a bit as the others listened, when CJ felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Zevon.

"What do you want?" CJ asked in an annoyed tone.

"Here." Zevon said brusquely as he pushed something into CJ's hands.

"It's- T-this is that amulet from Solomon." CJ exclaimed relatively perplexed.

"Exactly, and it is now up to you to use it." Zevon grinned.

"What? Why?" CJ questioned.

"Because at first Solomon wanted me to try to put it on Mal, but I don't really feel like having my head burned off, so I am giving it to the next willing person." Zevon said.

"So, basically you're just a coward." CJ scoffed.

Zevon shrugged. "I prefer to think of it as wise. I'd rather end up unscathed and a coward than otherwise."

"So, what do I do with this?" CJ asked.

"Just put it around Mal's neck, she should then lose her magical abilities." Zevon said.

"How should I do that?" CJ questioned.

"That's no longer my problem." Zevon mumbled before rejoining Solomon.

CJ stared at the amulet in her hand, which was really nothing more than a small, carved up stump of wood. What reason did she really have to refuse Zevon? That Archer guy would not join the battle, so she would have to find someone else to focus on. It might as well be Mal. A small smile crept onto CJ's face as she joined the rest of the group again.

This day may yet have a good end.


	23. Chapter 23: Ambush

**I know that it has taken a bit longer recently to write chapters, but stay tuned because I am still writing and fully intend on finishing the story.**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 23: Ambush

"Hello, Princess." A loud, cold voice said from behind Mal.

This time, Mal took her time in turning around to face her new enemy. She knew that voice all too well.

"Uma…" Mal breathlessly replied to the person standing on the opposite side of the river.

Uma hadn't changed a bit since Mal had last seen her on the isle, though she appeared more 'alive' than she had ever been. It was as if there was a soft glow around her, somewhat of a magical aura, which Mal realized could actually be the case.

"It's been far too long." Uma grinned. "Good to see that our little trap worked."

"Well, we're kinda still walking freely." Jay replied, his steely gaze not leaving Uma.

"For now…" Uma said. "Hmm, we did expect your group to be bigger. What happened?"

"Cutbacks in the budget." Royce sneered. "What else do you need to know?"

"Really? So bad that even Beastie Boy couldn't join us today?" Uma teased.

"None of your business, Shrimpy!" Freddie spat before Mal had time to react.

As always, the insult immediately managed to turn Uma's look sour.

"You will regret coming along on this trip, Facilier! You all will!" Uma sneered.

Mal's group had meanwhile slowly moved around her to establish a perimeter. Mal alternated her stare between Solomon and Uma, both of which appeared equally threatening at the moment. Jay stood right next to Mal, his gaze now fixed on Solomon and his sword raised.

"Now, now. Uma, everyone…" Solomon told Mal's group. "This does not have to end in violence. We just want Mal, surrender her and you have my word that you will all walk out of here unscathed."

"What good is the word of a villain and a murderer!?" Royce yelled.

Solomon's look darkened for a second before a maniacal smile took its place. "Would you not consider trusting the word of a 'villain and murderer' if it meant you would live?"

Mal wanted to speak up, to show some resilience against Solomon's taunting, but again she was interrupted.

"I still only count two of you!" Jay yelled. "Why should we be so afraid?"

"Believe me, Jay, if I wanted to, I could take all of you on single-handed. I am just trying to show you my kinder side." Solomon grins.

"What kinder side?" Freddie skeptically asked.

Solomon sighed. "I take it from your hostile response that you won't accept my offer."

"You will never touch Mal again!" Jay shouted.

Mal looked at him with wide eyes, touched at the lengths Jay was willing to go to in order to protect her.

"Actually, last time it wasn't at all my doing." Solomon grinned as he raised his hands. "Take up your complaints with Uma if you desperately want revenge for that."

"We are not here for revenge!" Aden exclaimed.

"Ooh, what is this then? A social gathering?" Solomon joked.

"We are here to arrest you for crimes committed against the United States of Auradon!" Aden continued.

Both Solomon and Uma snickered.

"Arrest- Arrest us?" Solomon grinned. "Damn, wow, what a joke."

"How about we make you an offer." Chad suddenly yelled, effectively silencing Solomon.

"Who are you exactly?" Solomon asked.

"Chad Charming, son of Cinderella and Prince Charming." Chad answered with pride.

"You look exactly like the human personification of a powdered wig, has anyone ever told you that?" Solomon insulted.

Chad was momentarily baffled as Uma started laughing.

"Well, that may be, but do you want to hear my offer?" Chad continued.

"Sure, spit it out." Solomon replied with a grin.

"How about you willingly let yourself get arrested, and we won't beat you up too bad." Chad proposed.

Even Mal groaned at the stupidity of Chad's comment whereas Solomon started laughing maniacally in amusement.

"Good one, powdered wig." Solomon bellowed as he pointed at Chad.

"I don't see what's so funny about this situation to you, it's still eight against two." Chad retorted.

"For now…" Solomon ominously replied, before whistling loudly.

To Mal's horror, almost a dozen people suddenly appeared behind Uma. Harry Hook, Gil, Anthony Tremaine, Clay Clayton, Zevon, Mad Maddy, CJ Hook and two other pirates stepped out of the shadows and joined together at Uma's side.

Now the fear actually started building up inside Mal. Not only had she led her friends into a trap, they were now also outnumbered.

For a short amount of time, all Mal could do was look at the faces of their newly appeared enemies.

Harry Hook, his face bruised, swollen and covered in bandages, stared at her with a ferocious hunger for revenge. Both Ben and Archer had told Mal about the confrontation between Ben and Harry, and how the latter had apparently been substantially injured. Only now did Mal see the actual number Ben had done on his victim. Even though Mal knew like no other how it felt to have your face get busted open, she felt absolutely no compassion for Harry Hook, the person who had been responsible for Mal's own injuries.

On CJ Hook's face, there was only anger and disgust visible, and Mal could honestly say that those feelings were entirely mutual. The two of them had not seen each other since Mal originally left for Auradon, but their time apart had not quenched their hatred for each other by the slightest.

Even with everything both Uma and Harry had done to her most recently, Mal still wasn't sure if CJ did not take the cake as Mal's most hated adversary.

"CJ!?" Freddie suddenly called out. "Wha- what are you doing here?"

"What's it look like?" CJ replied. "We're here for her!" She followed up as she pointed her sword at Mal.

Jay now went to stand between Mal and the people at the opposite end of the river, his eyes fixed on Harry Hook.

"Come and get her then! But you'll have to go through me!" Jay grunted.

"Not a problem…" Harry mumbled as he unsheathed his sword and stepped towards Jay.

Uma put an arm out, stopping Harry in his tracks. "Not yet, Harry. Let's give them a chance."

"Freddie!" CJ called out, making everyone look at her. "Surrender Mal, please! You can all leave if you do so."

"Are you in on this?" Royce asked Freddie in a suspicious tone.

"Of course not!" Freddie replied, sounding perplexed.

"Who is she then?" Royce continued.

"She used to be my friend." Freddie grunted.

"Freddie…" CJ said, her tone almost begging.

"No, CJ! I will not sacrifice Mal, none of us will! You still don't know how it feels to have friends, do you?" Freddie retorted.

CJ didn't reply, instead only looking at Freddie both disappointed and rebellious.

"Last chance." Solomon threatened. "Surrender Mal or die."

"Guys…" Mal mumbled.

"No, Mal!" Jay grunted, getting into a fighting stance.

"We can hold them." Aden tried to reassure her.

Mal panicked. She did not know what to do. There was still a river between her and Uma's groups, meaning that they were not yet of any absolute danger. Solomon, on the other hand, only stood a few yards away.

Solomon was alone, but Mal did not know how dangerous he actually was. He had thus far been able to pass through the magical barrier, destroy Auradon prep and the orphanage, all with magic. Whatever magical prowess he had developed in his younger years on the isle, it now clearly came to fruition on the mainland.

Uma naturally also possessed magical powers, Mal knew this, but how they stacked up against Solomon's she did not know. Besides Uma though, the group on the other side of the river also contained some dangerous fighters.

Harry Hook was naturally dangerous, even in his bandaged-up state. His sister CJ wasn't any easier to deal with, having always been one of the best swordfighters on the isle. Mad Maddy also possessed magic, just like Uma, and just like Uma Mal had no idea how powerful she was. Zevon had his potions, which could prove to be very annoying. Clay had his shotgun, which was capable of dealing a lot of damage. Besides them, Anthony Tremaine and Gil were both capable swordsmen.

To her left, Mal saw a path next to the river leading uphill, but eventually stopping before a rock formation.

To her right, another path next to the river led downstream, past the hill and into the woods. If they had any chance of escape, it would be through there.

Solomon had set up this ambush, so he would have undoubtedly taken that escape route into account, but Mal could not think of a better option.

Fighting their enemies, while they were outnumbered, would undoubtedly mean that everyone would either get captured or killed. Mal had faith in the fighting capabilities of her friends, but against the magical and numerical might they were facing now it really didn't matter.

Mal cursed herself. How could she have been so stupid as to not only walk straight into a trap, but also manage to go in completely short-handed.

Even though she was desperate, her thoughts were remarkably clear as she thought of an escape plan.

The path to the right was the best option by far. If she somehow managed to keep Uma and her crew on the other side of the river, while the others kept Solomon back, they could maybe get enough of a head start to escape.

There was, however, no way to announce this plan to her friends, all of whom had the same tense and apprehensive looks on their faces.

They needed time, and Mal knew one way to get them some.

"Solomon!" She called out, making everyone present momentarily lose focus.

"Yes, Mal?" Solomon grinned.

"You can still stop this. Go back to the isle and leave Auradon be! You will refrain anyone on either side from getting hurt." Mal spoke.

Solomon started laughing hysterically, his eyes closed.

Under that cover Mal almost unnoticeably tapped Jay's leg with her foot. Once he looked at her, Mal nudged her head to their right, towards the path.

To her upmost relief, Jay seemed to immediately understand her intentions, and proceeded to warn the rest through small taps and nudges.

When Solomon stopped laughing, he directed himself at Mal again.

"An attempt to appeal to my humanity? Really? Even you must be able to do better." He mocked.

"You're a snake!" Mal hissed.

"And you are just a dumb brat for falling for this trap!" Solomon snapped back.

"You don't have us yet!" Mal hissed.

"It's a matter of time…" Solomon mumbled as he took a step forward.

"Ben will have no mercy on you if you touch her." Aden snapped. "And neither will Archer, you remember him, do you?"

"The swordsman, right?" Solomon questioned, sounding genuinely interested.

"Damn right!" Royce snapped back. "And hell has no fury like Excalibur."

"Neither of them appear to be here." Uma said from the other side of the river.

"T-they will come for us." Freddie replied.

"She's lying." Zevon said. "Baby beast and the others were nowhere to be seen."

"So, it's just us." Solomon grinned.

Mal saw how Jordan turned to Solomon and whisper something to herself. Royce had his arrow aimed for Solomon's head and Aden held one knife ready in his right hand. It was almost time.

"If I surrender, will you let them walk away?" Mal suddenly asked.

All the villains, including Solomon, looked perplexed. All of Mal's friends recognized this as a ploy and noticeably downplayed their astonishment.

"Of course." Solomon answered, his eyes gleaming.

"Promise?" Mal followed up.

"Villain's promise." Solomon replied as he spat on the ground.

"Now!" Mal screamed as she conjured up a ball of fire in her hand lighting fast and threw it at the other side of the river.

Simultaneously, Royce fired and arrow, Aden threw a knife and Jordan produced a spell that conjured up a thin, transparent barrier between them and Solomon.

Everyone from Mal's group sprinted for the path to their right. Mal had not taken the time to look what happened to Solomon, but had seen that her ball of fire had made Uma stagger on the other side of the river.

"Run! Run!" Mal desperately shouted at her companions, who were all ahead of her.

"After her!" Both Solomon and Uma yelled from behind Mal, who did not bother to look back.

Mal sprinted like she had seldom done before, fear and air moving through her lungs at an alarming pace. "We can make it! We can make it! We can make it!" Was all she thought to herself.

A loud bang came from behind her, followed by a rock near her feet bursting into splinters. The realization that Clay had fired his shotgun came easily to her.

An arrow sailed over her head and landed on the ground in between Jay and Chad, who were ahead of the others. Jordan and Freddie were covered on both sides by the righteous sons, who even in this chaos held their lines. Mal was the last of their group, sprinting to the best of her ability.

After a minute, but which felt like hours, Mal noticed that the stretch of rocky terrain next to the river became smaller and smaller as the rocky hill to their side started to obstruct their path.

Obviously, her compatriots realized this at well and Jay was the first to stray from the path and into the river, which had thankfully become a lot shallower. The others followed, all trying to get to the other side as fast as possible.

Mal couldn't help herself and looked back at their enemies, which were to her distress almost at their location.

All of the sudden, a loud roaring sound dominated the air around them, and the water around Mal's feet suddenly flowed in the opposite direction.

Mal looked up and saw to her shock how an enormous wave of water headed in their direction.

Freddie screamed behind her.

"Jay!" Someone yelled loudly.

Mal wanted to turn around and continue running, but before being able to do anything she was hit by the wave at full force. The water pushed her roughly to the rock-covered bottom of the shallow river, after which she was helplessly pulled along by the powerful stream. Mal tried to cling to whatever she could get her hands on, but it was hopeless, all she could do right now was try to hold her breath and not get smashed into anything too painful.

Mal's painful journey through the water came to a grinding halt when she roughly landed against a large boulder in the middle of the river, which effectively pushed the remaining air out of her lungs.

Mal was momentarily lost for breath as she took a few seconds to recover. The water around her had returned to being an ordinary, shallow stream. She was face-down, her wet hair plastered around her face. Her left hand hurt a lot, as did her stomach, but nothing appeared to be too severe or bleeding.

"Mal!" A male voice called out from behind her.

Mal rolled onto her side with some trouble, her mind still dazed. She suddenly felt a pair of hands grab her under her armpits and drag her along. In reaction to this, Mal started weakly struggling, still not able to put up much of a fight.

"Mal! Mal! Calm down, it's me!" The voice yelled.

"J-jay?" Mal weakly exclaimed.

"Yes, come on! Please stand up!" Jay desperately grunted.

This gave Mal the push she needed and she scrambled back on her own feet before looking around.

Jay had indeed dragged her upright, he was still dry as far as Mal could see. Mal leaned against him for a second before she completely regained her footing and was able to take some wobbly steps.

"J-jay… T-the others… W-where are they?" Mal asked, the clouds in her mind starting to fade away.

"They're here! Come on, Mal, we have to go!" Jay urged her, the panic apparent in his voice.

Mal looked around, searching for her friends.

Freddie, Aden and Royce were huddled together not ten feet to her right, all of them were drenched and Royce was groaning in pain.

"Royce!" Mal exclaimed as she hurried towards them.

"I think he might have broken his ankle." Aden said, sounding genuinely worried.

"W-we have to go! We have to go…" Freddie mumbled, fearfully looking at the trees on both sides of the river.

"Jay! Help me!" Aden beckoned.

Jay got the hint and immediately supported one of Royce's arms to help drag him away.

"I can walk, dammit!" Royce grunted.

"Shut up!" Aden spat.

"Guys! Where's Jordan? And Chad? And Alex?" Freddie asked in a panicked tone.

"There!" Mal called out, pointing at three figures further downstream.

Mal and the others hastily joined up with the rest of their group, who were all similarly drenched to Mal.

"You guys okay?" Mal asked once they got close enough.

"Fine. A little wet though." Chad remarked, wiping the hair from his forehead.

"Royce! What's wrong?" Alex asked in an alarmed tone.

"His ankle might be broken." Aden replied.

"We need to leave guys!" Freddie urged them.

Mal looked back, but did not see any of the villains approach yet.

"Alex, can you carry Royce?" Mal asked.

"Sure." Alex replied.

"I don't need to be carried, I'm not a kid!" Royce grunted.

"Shut up!" Both Aden and Alex told Royce.

"Come on, let's follow the stream and we'll see from there." Mal said, the panicked tone evident in her voice.

"Quick! Quick!" Freddie almost begged.

Before any of them could even take a step, a ball of fire sailed through the air and landed near their feet, blowing both Mal and most of her companions off of their feet.

Mal landed roughly on the riverbank and started coughing as the air had once again been unpleasantly removed from her lungs. When her head stopped spinning and she was finally able to look up, she saw their enemies rapidly descend upon them from further upstream, yelling out eager battle cries. Solomon, meanwhile, stood further up the rocky hill on the other side of the river, one hand raised.

"Mal!" Someone panted beside her.

Mal looked back and saw Jay scramble back on his feet beside her and draw his sword.

"Jay…" Mal weakly exclaimed.

"Get out of here!" Jay urged before jumping over her and running at the villains.

"Jay!" Mal screamed after him as she struggled to her knees.

Before any progress could be made, three more people ran past Mal and after Jay. Aden, Alex and Chad all sprinted through the shallow river with their weapons raised.

"Jay…" Mal again weakly exclaimed as she finally got back on both feet.

"Mal, come on!" Someone beside her yelled and she felt her arm being pulled.

Mal looked back and saw a very distressed looking Freddie and Jordan.

"B-but…" Mal mumbled.

"We have to go!" Jordan shouted, tears springing into her eyes.

Mal looked at the people fighting. Jay and Harry Hook had found each other and their swords were flashing as they ferociously hacked at each other. Aden was dueling with Gil whilst also keeping others at bay by throwing knives. Alex was swinging his war hammer, pushing back Anthony Tremaine and two other pirates. Chad had lunged at CJ, but was now being pushed back. Mal fearfully looked on as Uma, Zevon, Maddy and Clay Clayton also appeared, meaning that their fighting force would be severely outnumbered.

"No!" Mal grunted as she pulled her arm loose from Freddie's grip.

"Mal, there are too many!" Jordan urged.

"Not for me…" Mal replied as she balled both her fists.

"Oh, here we go." Freddie mumbled as she let go of Mal's arm.

Mal felt her eyes turn green as the magic soured through her veins like an unstoppable force.

Remembering one particular spell, Mal picked up a rock from the riverbed and held it in her hand for a second before chucking it at the fighting party.

The rock glowed bright red before shattering into a dozen pieces, each of which headed for an enemy.

All their opponents yelled out in surprise as what looked like small meteors descended upon them. Most sadly managed to dodge the projectiles, but Mal saw how one pirate and Clay Clayton both took a flaming rock to the face.

Following her magic attack, Mal drew her sword and stormed at the others, intent on doing some physical damage.

"We can't leave her!" Mal heard Freddie yell behind her.

"Freddie!" Jordan yelled.

An arrow suddenly flew right past Mal and towards Solomon, who lazily stepped out of its way.

Mad Maddy was the first enemy Mal found on her path and she swung her sword at her. Maddy parried the blow and struck low. Mal dodged the strike and aimed a swing for Maddy's head, who was forced to jump backwards.

"Mal's mine!" Uma screamed as she appeared behind Maddy and pushed her aside.

Before either Uma or Mal could make a move, Gil suddenly appeared between them, on the defense from some of Aden's ferocious strikes.

"Mal! Get out of here!" Aden yelled at her as he passed by.

A body suddenly dropped down next to Mal, who saw that Chad had been knocked unconscious by CJ, who immediately had to dodge an arrow before looking at Mal.

"Hey Malsie!" CJ energetically called out.

Not feeling the need to reply, Mal started hacking at CJ, who blocked her efforts before slashing at Mal herself.

Another arrow sailed past Mal's shoulder and only missed CJ by a hair. CJ had been forced however to jump out of the way of the arrow, once again creating some space between them.

A small vile thrown by Zevon suddenly flew through the air and exploded on the ground about six feet from where Mal was standing. Before Zevon could threaten her any more, a knife thrown by Aden distracted him.

Mal now stood eye-to-eye with Uma again, who slowly started walking at her with a wide grin and her sword raised.

A blood-curdling scream alerted both Mal and Uma when the second unnamed pirate clutched at his shoulder, which had obviously suffered a tremendous hit from Alex's war hammer. Before Alex could finish the job, a potion thrown by Zevon exploded in between Alex and his opponent Anthony Tremaine and red and blue sparks flew in every direction.

Both Mal and Uma took cover from the sparks, which appeared to burn whatever they came in contact with.

Aden crossed through Mal's field of vision again, his right leg smoldering.

Before Gil could take advantage, Freddie jumped into frame and started hacking at him.

Mal felt someone pull her arm again and saw an obviously panicked Jordan.

"Mal! Please!" She begged.

Another arrow flew over Mal's head and only narrowly missed CJ, who had gone after Aden.

Jay and Harry Hook suddenly entered the frame as well, with the latter being on the retreat. Jay made a complicated jump kick maneuver, which ended up putting Harry on his back.

Before Jay could finish the job, a stream of water rose up from the river again, splashing not only Jay, but Aden, CJ and Freddie as well who had all been standing in somewhat of a clutch.

"Run, Jordan!" Mal urged.

Jordan's face was pale as a sheet as she stared at the mayhem around her and her hands were shaking.

"N-not without you." She said with a trembling but determined voice.

A loud bang shook both of them.

Clay Clayton had regained his composure somewhat and had fired his shotgun, only to miss every fighting party.

"Go!" Mal yelled as she pulled away from Jordan and sprinted at Uma, whose necklace had just started glowing.

"Mal!" Jordan screamed.

Mal didn't listen as she jumped over a rock and raised her arm at Uma, ready to throw another ball of fire.

Uma was ahead of her though and Mal was instead hit with a gush of water straight to the head, effectively dropping her roughly to the ground.

Mal sputtered for a second as she immediately tried to scramble back up, only for the water in the river underneath her to suddenly rise, carrying her up, and fall, dropping her to the ground again. Mal landed with a smack, hurting her already painful stomach.

This time, Mal was unable to react quickly, so her fear was genuine when what were unmistakably Uma's boots doomed up right in front of her.

"Had enough, princess?" Her teasing voice asked from above her.

Mal could only moan in response as she tried her best to get back up.

A sharp pain in her back alerted Mal to the fact that Uma had kicked her, forcing her back down.

"No escape this time." Uma's teasing voice sang from above her. "You will all- Aaah!"

Uma's scream startled Mal as she immediately looked up, only to see Uma hang upside down from an invisible rope about ten feet in the air.

"Uma!" Harry Hook yelled out.

"W-what the hell!" Uma screamed as she wildly struggled.

Mal looked back and saw Jordan stand in the middle of the battlefield with her hands raised and her eyes wide as saucers.

"Jordan!?" Mal exclaimed as she scrambled back upright.

Jordan could only weakly nod in respond as she took a few steps backward.

Another arrow flew past Jordan and Mal and hit Anthony Tremaine in the foot, after which he fell to the ground with a cry of pain.

Another loud bang came from behind Mal, and a rock next to where Alex was fighting Zevon and Maddy splintered, sending pebbles flying with the speed of bullets.

Mal felt someone grab her upper arm again, and saw Aden desperately try to pull her back.

"Mal! Come!" He yelled, throwing one knife at Gil, who ducked.

Jay appeared on her other side, the unconscious Chad hung over his shoulders. A panicked Freddie looked back fearfully at any would-be opponents.

Alex, who had not been hurt badly by Clay's shot, ran along with them.

All the villains were momentarily preoccupied as some tended to their own or other people's injuries. Harry was still trying his best to get Uma down.

Mal felt a spark of hope, maybe they could get out.

A loud crashing sound was then followed by a harrowing scream.

A body hit Mal when she had been looking back at their enemies, making her drop to the ground yet again and start gasping for air.

Mal looked at the person who had landed on her and saw to her shock that it was Jordan. Her eyes were closed, and a large piece of her jacket was smoldering.

Mal looked on in horror as Jordan's entire body trembled and then stopped moving all together.

"Jordan!" Mal yelled out as she started softly slapping Jordan's face. "Jordan!"

Another scream was heard above her, and Alex fell down next to Mal and Jordan, clutching his right hand.

Mal looked up and saw Solomon blocking their path, his raised right hand was still smoldering.

"Well, this was fun…" He told Mal's group with a slight pant.

Mal looked back and saw the rest of the villains approach as well. Uma had been released from the spell and headed out in front of the others, a furious look in her eyes. Mal's group was surrounded, they were trapped again, but this time was worse.

The unconscious and obviously wounded Jordan lay in Mal's arms. Alex, Aden and Royce all had injuries and were in little shape to fight. Chad was unconscious as well, thus being of no use.

Only Mal, Jay and Freddie appeared relatively unscathed, or at least capable to fight.

Mal's desperation reached new heights. There was no way out. There was no way they could match their enemies with either hand-to-hand combat or through magical means.

This was it.

"Any last words? Perhaps a heartfelt goodbye?" Solomon teased.

Mal looked helplessly at her group, who were unable to pose a threat to their opponents.

"Please! If I go along with you, will you let them leave?" Mal decided to beg.

"NO!" Freddie yelled.

"Mal! No!" Jay repeated.

Solomon only laughed in response.

"We gave you that option, didn't we? We said we only wanted you, but you decided to fight it out. Look how that turned out for you."

"Please…" Mal pleaded.

"As much as I enjoy your groveling princess, we have a schedule." Uma snickered from behind her.

"Kill them all, except for the traitors." Solomon threatened, pointing at Mal, Jay and Freddie.

"No!" Mal yelled as the villains started approaching.

Jay raised his sword, and so did Freddie.

Mal felt her eyes glowing green again as her trembling hands already started spouting green sparks.

All of the sudden, the entire scene was illuminated by a white light, the brightest Mal had ever seen.

The villains appeared equally perplexed, all of them covering their eyes.

The light died down again and Mal looked up to see the shape of several people standing above them in the shadows of the trees.

"Excuse me, are we late?" A familiar voice asked.


	24. Chapter 24: Safe

**I know that it has taken a bit longer recently to write chapters, but please stay tuned because I am still writing and fully intend on finishing the story.**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 24: Safe

This was a nightmare, it must be one.

No way that this could happen, not again, not now…

These thoughts crawled through Ben's mind like a harmful virus, intent on eradicating any positive thought, any hope for a bright future.

Mal was missing, again, but Ben knew in the back of his head exactly where she was, or at least where she was heading.

The fight, or disagreement, that Mal and he had had still echoed loudly in his thoughts. Never had he and Mal screamed at each other the way they had done now. Ben recalled how furious he had been over Mal's resilience, or stubbornness. He recalled how Mal had begged and pleaded to him to change his mind, but every time she repeated her arguments they grew weaker.

He didn't understand it. Mal had begged him before to not ride out to face the enemy, and now that he had decided that riding out was not the right option, Mal suddenly believed it to be.

Her reaction surprised Ben, though not in the sense that he didn't expect it. Mal had always been a person of few words and a lot of action and living in Auradon had done fairly little in controlling her temper. Furthermore, Ben knew how much the orphanage had meant to Mal, he felt the same way. Seeing a place get ruined that they both had helped to create was something he found it hard to deal with as well.

Now Mal had apparently gone off and taken the reigns in her own hands again, only she appeared to not be alone.

"Ben, they're gone!" Archer yelled as he and Lancelot approached the others sitting around the table in the lunch yard.

"They- All of them!?" Ben questioned, genuinely perplexed.

"Everyone, without leaving as much as a note." Archer replied, sounding annoyed.

"They joined her, they must have." Lancelot added.

"I still don't believe Mal would do such a thing." Evie said, shaking her head.

"I actually would." Carlos piped in, though he sounded far from happy.

"After everything that happened? After the isle? Would she really go behind our backs again?" Evie whined.

"She would." Ben answered, a dark tone evident in his voice. "I wanted to believe otherwise, but Mal doesn't change her behavior that easily."

"She is not stupid!" Evie persisted.

"No, just stubborn." Lancelot replied.

"Very." Carlos admitted.

"I like to think of Mal as confident." Evie responded.

"Her confidence brings us more trouble than anything else right now!" Archer snapped.

"We still don't know for sure if she-" Evie began.

"She did." Ben replied, making everyone stare at him. "I should have realized that she would not let this go. She was so distraught after the orphanage and all, she started acting out."

"Jay must have helped talk her into it, he's been tired of sitting on the sidelines." Carlos added.

"Mal is not stupid!" Evie repeated. "She would not have gone in with just the two of them!"

"Which is why they approached others." Archer responded. "I still don't want to believe the others willingly joined her though."

"Well, they were not entirely keen on your decision, Archer." Carlos admitted.

"What do you mean?" Archer snapped.

"They wanted to pursue the lead, they said so during tourney practice." Carlos explained.

Archer cursed, causing Lancelot to hit him on the shoulder.

"They're heading right into a trap, Mal knew this!" Ben shouted.

"She didn't care! I believe she made it very clear all she wanted was to confront that Solomon!" Archer replied.

"Even Mal would not go on a suicide mission. Taking four people with her against who knows how many would not help anyone." Ben lamented.

"Perhaps she's grown overconfident." Archer suggested. "Sure, she's kind and all but she does sometimes take her own abilities in a little too high a regard."

"The guys are great fighters." Lancelot tried to reassure everyone. "If they went with her, they must have come up with something of a plan. I'm sure that they're not planning on dying."

"A plan? Going into those hills with five people looking for the enemy cannot be done, Lance! You know that just as well as I do." Archer retorted.

"I'm just saying, Archer, that whatever the reasoning for why they joined, they have only increased the chance of everyone making it out alive." Lancelot replied.

"Or they have only increased the number of casualties with themselves!" Archer fired back. "Stupid idiots…"

"We have to go after them." Ben mumbled.

"Sadly, I agree with you." Archer piped in. "We must get them back."

"I'll fire up the limo, we can chase after them immediately!" Carlos confidently announced.

"The limo is gone." A voice said from the school.

Ben and the others looked up and saw Doug and Jane walk into their direction.

"T-the limo is gone?" Ben questioned, perplexed.

"Yes…" Doug began before looking at the others. "What's wrong?"

"Aden, Alex and Royce have also disappeared, we think they joined Mal and Jay." Lancelot said in a somber tone.

"A-all of them?" Jane asked, seemingly shocked.

"All of them." Archer answered.

"And they took the limo? Well, that's just fantastic." Evie muttered.

"Well, it would fit them all and allow them to move around faster." Lancelot said.

"That's not a good thing if we wish to catch up to them." Carlos complained.

"He's right." Archer added. "They could be in the middle of the hills for all we know."

"That means we have no time to lose, we must go." Ben said, the urgency clear in his voice.

"We have no limo!" Carlos countered.

"I can get a car sent from Beast Castle, we have to go as fast as possible." Ben replied, nearly panicking.

"We'll need weapons, just in case." Archer proposed.

"Guys!" Lancelot said loudly. "It doesn't matter! Even if we track the trail, the others have a head start of a few hours, we'll never catch up to them."

"We can't leave them to their fates!" Carlos retorted.

"I-ehm… Well…" Lancelot mumbled.

"We're not leaving them!" Ben grunted.

"Guys! We have a problem!" Someone yelled from the entrance to the school.

Ben looked up and saw Lonnie and Audrey hurry towards them, seemingly distressed.

"What's wrong?" Ben asked, feeling as they could hardly get any more bad news.

"Freddie and Jordan are gone! And Chad's missing too." Lonnie said as she approached the others.

Archer and Carlos audibly groaned while Evie and Jane put their hands in front of their mouths.

"Freddie, Jordan and Chad? All missing?" Ben questioned, now downright astounded.

"They're nowhere to be found, and they're not answering their phones." Audrey complained.

"No way! They wouldn't do that." Doug said, shaking his head.

"Do what?" Lonnie asked, looking from Doug to Ben and back.

"Join Mal and the others…" Archer groaned.

Lonnie looked perplexed. "No. No! Come on, I mean, t-they wouldn't."

"Maybe they tried to stop her?" Audrey proposed.

"And then not pick up their phones? No! They've joined her." Lancelot muttered.

"Jesus, she has actually created her personal little army." Archer mumbled.

"Army? Who else has joined her?" Lonnie asked.

"Jay, Aden, Alex, Royce and apparently Freddie, Jordan and Chad." Carlos recounted.

"What!?" Both Audrey and Lonnie exclaimed.

"Freddie and Jordan… Oh no…" Evie mumbled, obviously frightened.

"We're going after them! We must get them back safe!" Archer urged, looking at Ben specifically.

Ben swallowed as he felt the eyes of everyone on him. Of course he wanted to go after them, but he didn't know yet if it was because he wanted to get Mal back home safely or to berate her for so belatedly disregarding his orders. After all, this had not been the first time.

When Mal had travelled to the isle to safe Freddie and had returned nearly half-dead, she and Ben had promised each other never to leave each other's side, especially during times of war.

Now the war had arrived in Auradon, and Mal had still elected to go out on her own on what could easily be described as a suicide mission. Ben noticed that his temper rose as he taught of Mal taking seven of their closest friends on this hopeless endeavor.

Mal might have convinced herself that what she did was the right action, but Ben was supported by everyone around him right now in the notion that chasing after the villains right now was a foolish idea. But Mal didn't listen. Ben had often admired Mal's confidence and had mostly seen her stubbornness as a sign of courage or determination, perfect traits for a would-be ruler. Now, all he could see was blatant disregard for council and an almost tunnel vision like form of ignorance.

Ben loved Mal, of course he did. He loved her with all his heart. He loved her more than anything else in the world. Still thinking about her now gave him heart palpitations. But he was worried that this same love was now clouding his judgement.

Ben knew that if anyone but Mal had pulled a stunt like this, they would most likely face a sentence in prison. What she had done bordered on downright treason or insubordination. Not only had she gone against his orders though, by involving all the others she had downright endangered multiple lives. Ben could not let this slide.

"We must find them. Our first priority is to get everyone back safely, afterwards they will answer for their crimes." Ben replied darkly.

Archer and Lancelot looked satisfied, but Evie's expression looked outright hysterical.

"Ben, you're not actually saying you want to punish Mal?" She asked softly enough that no one besides him and Carlos could hear.

"Evie, Mal has done this twice now. She needs to learn that she cannot simply disregard the rules. She is not above the law!" Ben grunted in response.

Evie rolled her eyes. "She knows that, but all she's doing is trying to look out for the kingdom and protect people. Ben, she has a good heart."

Ben sighed. "I know that, you know who you're talking to. Actions are different from intentions though, and Mal needs to answer for her actions."

"Promise me you won't go too hard on her, please! Ben, she has gone through such a rollercoaster of emotions in the past months." Evie pleaded.

"This is out of my hands, Evie." Ben replied. "Mal needs to answer to a higher court."

"Ben!" Evie gasped.

"Evie, she endangered all the others by taking them with her! You are not seriously saying you approve of her actions, are you?" Ben questioned.

"Of course not! She has been very irresponsible by bringing others along with her. I just want her to be safe and happy if that's not too much to ask." Evie responded.

"The higher court will decide what happens to Mal. Of course I will listen to what she has to say, and please don't act like I want to punish Mal so badly. I just want her to realize the error of her mistakes, so she won't do anything similar again." Ben explained.

Evie just nodded in response, seemingly satisfied with Ben's answer.

"Alright, so Ben, are you gonna call some cars from Beast Castle?" Carlos asked.

"Right away." Ben replied as he grabbed his phone.

"Ben!" Lancelot called out. "The cars won't help. If we trace the magic trail all the way back from the orphanage, we'll only be able to catch up to them in a few hours. By then it could be too late."

"Too late for what?" Jane asked in a tiny voice.

"We believe the magic trail to be a trap." Archer answered. "With the villains probably waiting on the other side."

Jane gasped. "And Mal followed it?"

"We think so." Carlos answered. "She wanted to."

"That's horrible! We need to save them!" Jane exclaimed.

"That's why we need to get ready, come on!" Carlos said, clapping his hands.

"It won't work!" Lancelot repeated. "There's no way we can get there in time with cars, or by simply following the trail."

"We need to try!" Carlos retorted, sounding very agitated.

"We'll only risk our own necks!" Lancelot yelled back.

"Ben! Come on! We need to go!" Carlos urged.

Ben was doubtful. On the one hand, Lance was right that there was no way they could get to Mal in time for a possible rescue. On the other hand, if they did nothing there would be nothing they could do to help Mal. The again, if they went out anyway they could risk getting captured or killed by their enemies as well, and that was a risk Ben was not really willing to take. But he couldn't just leave Mal to the wolves.

"We're going, we can't leave them." Ben said resolutely.

"Ben, there's nothing…" Lancelot began.

"We will surely accomplish nothing by staying here! If there's even the slightest chance of rescuing them, we need to take it!" Ben interrupted him.

Lancelot looked hesitant, but nodded nonetheless.

"Wait a second." Archer suddenly spoke up as he looked at Lancelot.

"What is it, Archer?" Ben asked.

"I think I know of a way to quickly get to Mal's location without having to follow the trail." Archer said.

"What? How?" Ben asked.

Lancelot looked at Archer with a pervasive stare before his eyes suddenly went wide.

"No! No! Archer! No!" Lancelot muttered.

"Come on, Lance! It could be a matter of life or death!" Archer yelled.

"It's illegal magic!" Lancelot retorted.

"Not in cases of involving possible death or serious harm, you said so yourself!" Archer snapped.

"Archer…" Lancelot pleaded.

"Lance, please!" Archer replied.

"What are you talking about?" Ben asked.

"A teleportal. I want Lance to teleport us." Archer explained.

Most people around them looked confused, but Ben had read about teleportals before. They were incredibly complicated spells, able to transport people or items over great distances. What differentiated teleportals from simply teleporting, was that teleportals could be used by numerous people at once, making it a powerful weapon that could be used for transporting entire armies over larger distances.

"A-a teleportal!? That's genius, Archer!" Ben enthusiastically said.

"What's a teleportal?" Evie asked.

"A way for multiple people to get from one place to another instantly." Jane answered. "But that is an extremely difficult spell."

"Lance can do it, he's done it before." Archer replied.

"Man, that was a long time ago!" Lancelot complained.

"Still, we have to try!" Archer retorted.

"How can we find Mal with that teleportal though?" Evie asked.

"Lance can track them!" Archer enthusiastically replied. "A teleportal can be modified to trace magical disturbances!"

Evie gasped. "So, we could trace Mal?"

"Exactly." Archer answered. "And we can go after her with as many people as we like."

"Archer!" Lancelot said loudly. "I still did not give my permission."

"It's to safe Mal, and all the others!" Archer shouted. "If they spring the trap and get ambushed by the villains, then we must be there to help them!"

"Please, Lance." Evie begged softly. "They could get hurt."

Lancelot looked incredibly uneasy, especially after Evie's plea.

"Lance…" Ben began, making Lancelot look at him. "I'm sorry I have to do this, but as king I order you to conjure up a teleportal."

Lancelot blushed, seemingly both because of anger and embarrassment.

"Well… You are my king, and your command is mine to follow." Lancelot admitted.

"Fine, when he says it…" Archer mumbled.

"Thank you." Ben said heartfelt, placing a hand on Lancelot's shoulder. "Everyone!" He then shouted. "We must leave as soon as possible if we want a chance to get everyone back safely. Gather your weapons and other necessities and suit up, we meet back here in ten minutes!"

Everyone nodded in agreement before scurrying off. Ben similarly left for his room, to get his stuff.

All his armor was still in Beast Castle, meaning he would have to make do with simple wrist guards and chainmail. He did have his sword, which he sheathed into the scabbard around his waist.

Ben was only the third person who got back to the meeting point, after Archer and Lancelot who were already standing in the lunch yard.

Archer wore his wrist guards and leg armor alongside his favorite hoodie, but also wore a brown cloak, similar to Lancelot's.

"Why are you wearing that?" Ben asked.

"Lance insisted." Archer answered, sounding not particularly enthusiastic. "He doesn't want me to catch a cold."

"It also serves functional purposes." Lancelot retorted.

"Come on, it doesn't even have pockets." Archer complained.

"It doesn't need pockets." Lancelot replies, sounding exhausted.

"Would be functional." Archer murmured.

"Guys!" Ben said loudly. "Are you all set?"

"Yep, I have Excalibur and don't really need much else." Archer grinned.

"I am fully prepared as well." Lancelot solemnly replied.

"Good, so where's the rest?" Ben asked.

"They'll be here shortly." Archer answered with a small wave.

Not twenty seconds later, several people joined them in the lunch yard again. Evie and Carlos had both changed into their isle attire and carried swords. Lonnie wore her S.A.S. uniform with wrist guards and had her sword in a scabbard around her waist. Jane, Doug and Audrey walked behind them, but did not carry any weapons.

"Ben, if you wouldn't mind, we'd like to stay here. We would probably be a liability out there." Doug told him.

"It's alright, I would have probably forbidden you to go anyway." Ben grinned.

Doug smiled at Ben and the two shook hands before Ben turned to Audrey.

"Bring everyone back safe, alright?" She asked, sounding scared.

"We'll do whatever we can." Ben promised her.

When Ben looked back, he saw Evie and Carlos say goodbye to their respective partners. While Doug and Evie appeared relatively calm, Jane clung to Carlos' neck as if it was a lifebuoy.

"Jane, come on, we'll be fine." Carlos pleaded, trying and failing to dislodge his girlfriend's hands.

"I'm just so scared, Carlos." Jane replied breathlessly.

"We'll be fine!" Carlos sighed, finally giving up the struggle.

"Please be safe." Jane pleaded.

"We will be." Carlos replied as he kissed her hand.

Ben then turned to Evie and Doug, who where still whispering to one another.

"Guys?" He hesitantly asked.

"Yeah, just a sec." Evie replied.

"Be safe out there." Doug told Evie as she stroked her blue hair.

"I will, no villain can handle me." Evie replied confidently.

"In that case, don't forget to kick some ass." Doug grinned.

Evie didn't reply, instead kissing Doug both passionately and reassuringly before stepping away and joining the others.

"We all set?" Ben asked the others, who all nodded in response. "You're all sure you want to come along? I could be very dangerous."

"For god's sake, Ben! What do we look like to you?" Lonnie asked with a half-smile.

Ben softly grinned. "Okay then, Lance, do it."

Lance gave Ben one more hesitant look before raising his staff, which started emitting a vague, shimmering light.

"Anything?" Archer asked, his eyes on the staff.

"I'm still searching." Lancelot mumbled, his eyes closed.

"What if Mal isn't using her magic?" Evie asked in a suddenly panicked tone.

Lance answered, his eyes still closed. "Mal's magical aura is quite extraordinary. Even without using her magic it should still be traceable due to her fairy blood."

Evie just raised her eyebrows at this, seemingly not sure what to make of Lance's announcement.

"Can you pinpoint her?" Ben asked breathlessly, the actual realization of what they were about to do only now really getting to him.

"I'm trying." Lance replied. "I'm scanning through the Auradon hills, not too far from the orphanage… That's where they should be."

"I hope we're not too late." Lonnie mumbled, her eyes wide with concern.

"They can handle themselves." Archer reassured her. "At least for a while, they'll be fine."

"I feel her!" Lancelot suddenly shouted, making everyone jump in surprise.

"Where?" Ben hastily asked.

"In the hills, near the river… But… She's not alone." Lancelot mumbled.

"What do you mean?" Archer questioned.

"There are more people. More magic users with her. Spells have been cast." Lancelot said.

"Shit, they must be fighting." Archer replied. "We must go!"

"Lance, take us there!" Ben said loudly.

Lancelot nodded and raised his staff. Before long, a small, bright sphere appeared in the air, which quickly grew and expanded into what resembled a glowing gateway.

"Enter." Lancelot said curtly.

Ben looked back one more time at Doug, Jane and Audrey, who all watched the group with bated breath.

"Good luck." Jane shouted after them.

Ben didn't reply, instead looking back at the glowing gateway before stepping into it.

A brightness unlike anything Ben had felt before enveloped him, surrounding him completely. The inside of the portal felt like nothing Ben knew. He wasn't standing on solid ground, but it did not feel like he was floating either. The best way he could compare the feeling to something was to the sensation of falling through a tight tube.

He could not see the others, or anything really except for absolute brightness. Had Ben not had complete faith in Lance's abilities, this would have frightened him. Instead of panicking, Ben kept his cool and simply waited, knowing that the duration of the teleportation could not be more than a couple of seconds.

Indeed, after barely fifteen seconds Ben felt solid ground under his feet again. It took a few more seconds before the brightness around him disappeared, at which point he was able to see Archer, Lance, Evie, Carlos and Lonnie again.

In one quick look around, Ben saw they were standing in the middle of a forest in the Auradon hills, with a relatively small river running just below them.

Looking around more actively, Ben saw a large group of people standing at the bottom of the hill he was currently standing on. Before he could distinguish anyone or really do anything, Archer spoke up next to him.

"Excuse me, are we late?" He said loudly to the people below them as he unsheathed Excalibur from his back.

Everyone at the river looked up at Ben and his group, and only now did Ben recognize Mal. Even from this distance, she was easily distinguishable due to her purple hair, which was wet and hung around her face. When their eyes met, Ben felt a flutter and a warmth in his stomach, a feeling that only Mal could conjure up inside him.

Mal's eyes lit up the way Ben knew all so well when she saw him and even a small smile spread across her face.

All Ben wanted to do right now was head down and embrace Mal for all he was worth, but one look at everything that surrounded Mal changed that.

Jay and Freddie both stood next to Mal with their sword raised and a shocked expression on their faces as they looked up at the group of their friends that just appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

Around Mal, Jay and Freddie laid numerous other people. Ben recognized Aden, Alex and Royce, all seemingly injured. Chad and Jordan appeared to both be unconscious, judging by their closed eyes.

Further to the sides stood even more people, many of whom Ben didn't know. The ones he did recognize proved to Ben that the current situation spelled trouble. Uma and Harry Hook stood close to Mal on her left, both with shocked expressions as they looked up to Ben and his compatriots with hatred. In a flash of satisfaction, Ben saw how Harry Hook's face was covered in bandages and fresh scars.

To Mal's right, one person in a dark trench coat stood alone with his arms raised. He was a young man with dark hair and a large scar on his face. Without any context, Ben knew this had to be Solomon, their enemy.

Ben took in the entire scene in only a few seconds, and in these seconds no one around him had moved. For one more second, that seemed to go on forever, everyone just stood and stared at each other without making a move. Then the villains sprung into action, pointing all their weapons in Ben's direction.

Ben momentarily looked back at his group, all of whom looked determined and angry.

"Attack!" Ben yelled at the top of his lungs as she unsheathed his sword and jumped down, into battle.


	25. Chapter 25: Fight

**I know that it has taken a bit longer recently to write chapters, but please stay tuned because I am still writing and fully intend on finishing the story. I have been in the middle of exam period, but now that it's coming to a close you can expect chapters more regularly.**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Also, how about that new Descendants 3 trailer though, freaking awesome!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 25: Fight

"Attack!" Ben yelled at the top of his lungs.

Archer didn't need to hear this twice as he sprinted down at his foes, Excalibur raised over his head. Beside him, he managed to catch a glimpse of Ben, Evie, Carlos and Lonnie, all with their swords raised as well. Together they stormed at the enemies down below, uttering loud battle cries in the process.

Archer had meticulously examined the battlefield before jumping down, mainly to find out where his friends were. He had not expected to find both his troop mates and Mal's other companions to have been pushed back so badly. At the point of his arrival, only three out of the eight people still stood relatively unscathed, with two others unconscious. Though they were still standing, Mal, Jay and Freddie appeared extremely desperate. Aden, Alex and Royce all appeared to be wounded, judging by their positions.

Around them, eleven enemies were slowly approaching with their weapons raised. Archer immediately recognized Uma and Harry Hook, and also managed to Zevon, who he had fought before on the isle, and Solomon himself, though this was the first time he saw his face. To his shock, he also saw CJ Hook, the pretty blonde pirate who'd stabbed his leg on the isle.

As they were running down, the villains closed in on the group below them, obviously with the intend of finishing them off. Archer thus hurried down as fast as he could, eventually making a massive jump and landing beside Jay. The two of them shared one look before heading into the fight.

Harry Hook and a broad-shouldered blond guy lunged at them, but Jay and Archer both managed to block their strikes and push them back.

A loud bang alerted Archer to the fact that one of their opponents was carrying a firearm. To his relieve, he saw that the bullets he fired all missed his friends who had joined them on the ground in the meantime.

Jay and Archer continued their struggle against Harry Hook and his companion, who they managed to push back substantially. Around him, Archer heard the sounds of more fighting. The clashing of steel, heavy footsteps and shouts, grunts and yells of pain all interjected each other.

A ball of fire suddenly flew past his line of vision and scorched a tree to his right. Not two seconds later, the river below him appeared to come to life and a relatively large wave threatened to blow everyone over. An invisible shield appeared, protecting those behind it from the wave.

A pirate suddenly jumped at Archer from his right, but Archer managed to block his strike before turning and lashing out with Excalibur, cutting the pirate on his arm.

Harry Hook then approached him, but after a few swings from both sides Archer managed to kick him in the chest, after which Jay took over again.

An arrow flew past Archer's head and bounced off the rocks near Uma's feet. Archer followed Jay, who had resumed his fight with Harry Hook. The broad-shouldered blond guy approached Archer and the two exchanged some blows before Archer managed to trip his opponent.

The moment Archer wanted to strike, a purple spark exploded to his left, forcing him to momentarily take cover. When he rejoined the fight, his opponent had scurried back to his feet and ran back to help Harry.

Now, Archer finally had some time to examine the battlefield. The unconscious bodies of Chad and Jordan had been dragged back to protect them from the battle. Aden, Alex and Royce laid in front of them, the first two tending to their wounds while Royce was still firing arrows. Lancelot stood in front of them, his staff raised and shouting enchantments whenever he could.

To his left, Jay, Lonnie, Carlos and Freddie were all fighting, extensively swinging their swords around. They were facing five opponents. Jay was naturally fighting Harry Hook, while Carlos had taken over fighting the broad-shouldered guy. Lonnie was locked in an intense struggle with a tall, dark-haired boy he didn't know and another pirate. Freddie was enthusiastically hacking at the pirate Archer had previously injured.

To his right, things were a lot more chaotic. The first thing he noticed was that Mal and Uma were obviously branded on hurting one another through magical means. Mal conjured sparks and flames as if she herself was about to combust, whereas Uma made the water in the river perform increasingly more complicated maneuvers, also providing trouble for the other fighting parties. At the moment, it was unclear who was gaining the upper hand, but Archer did not see an opportunity for himself to jump in and help.

Beside Mal, Evie was violently striking and kicking at the guy with the shotgun, who did all he could to protect himself from the violent onslaught.

Ben had apparently taken it upon himself to defeat Solomon, and was locked in combat with him at the moment. Ben was striking with such strength and ferocity, that even someone with Solomon's strength was being forced on the defensive at the moment. Ben had been trained well, and his quick and strong sword strikes were precise and frequent enough that Solomon could only block them with his daggers at the moment.

Behind that violent confrontation, two more people stood, both in an apparent struggle from a distance with Lance. The dark-haired boy, Zevon, stood next to a girl with aqua green hair. Zevon kept throwing small vials which exploded into numerous colors, while the girl, who was obviously magically adept as well, blasted sparks at Lance.

Archer wanted to help at first, but Lance appeared to have things firmly under control, his magical prowess apparently outperforming that of his adversaries.

Archer looked back again at his wounded and unconscious friends behind him. They needed to be brought to safety, but he didn't know how. Alone, he could never transport five people away from the battle, especially not without getting chased by the villains.

The best chance for all of them to escape was through another teleportal, this much Archer knew. All they had to do was have five of them carry or help move one of their injured friends, and they'd be off the hook.

For this to happen, they needed time. Time for everyone to recuperate before they could leave.

Besides time, another obvious necessity was Lance, and an uninterrupted opportunity for him to activate another teleportal.

Archer worried however that if the villains would realize what they were doing, they would most likely go all out on Lance, only further endangering their escape.

They would need a distraction, or a certain protection in order to get everyone away safely. How this could be done, Archer did not know.

Before he could plan any further, a new challenger approached Archer, this one making sure that his full attention would be on the fighting again.

CJ Hook appeared before him, her sword raised and a confident, yet playful expression on her face.

"Hey, sword guy! Remember me?" She teased, her eyes twinkling.

Archer decided to play her little game. "How could I forget, you left quite a reminder." He replied shaking his leg.

"I'll make sure to leave another." CJ said with a grin, slowly twirling her sword as she approached him.

"I welcome you to try." Archer dared with an identical grin as he matched her movements.

"That may not be a dare you want to try with me." CJ teases.

"Why not? I love a challenge and you might just be good enough to offer me one." Archer retorted.

This comment made CJ's eyes narrow. "Bring it!"

"Let's dance!" Archer replied as he raised Excalibur.

CJ lunged at him, sword thrusted forward. Archer jumped out of the way, also hitting down on CJ's sword, who immediately turned to keep up with Archer's footwork. A left strike from Archer was blocked, then a right and finally one from the top. After this, CJ swung low, aiming for Archer's legs, but he simply dodged by jumping backwards.

This fight was very different from the one on the isle, where they had fought on the rooftops. This was more Archer's territory, a relatively open space in nature with steady footing. CJ didn't have the element of surprise, which she did have when she had struck for his head on the rooftops.

Furthermore, the small, cramped spaces on the isle were obviously where CJ had learned to fight, and they were where she was in her element. This new ground was obviously something she had to get accustomed to. Whenever she would strike and subsequently try to shield herself, she would often leave large spaces uncovered, something Archer could take advantage of. Thanks to the flaws in her fighting style, he managed to keep the upper hand, mostly driving CJ back, but he could not seem to land a finishing blow.

Her fighting style was flawed, but that didn't mean she was an easy opponent, far from it really. Archer could still scarcely believe how quick she was. She was so quick that Archer did not dare try a heavy blow for the fear that she could simply dodge it and counter immediately. He himself had to actually give it his best to keep up with her.

They jumped around, hacking and slashing in between pretty much every other fighting party. They were so in tune with one another that it felt to Archer as if they were performing a tightly choreographed dance.

Everything around Archer became blurry, as his full focus was on CJ and her sword. Even the sounds that came from the battle were somewhat muted and distorted, as if all of it took place behind a window.

"Come on, Auradon boy!" CJ teased as she ducked out of the way of yet another one of Archer's strikes. "Am I a challenge yet?"

"I would love to complement you, but how'd that make me look?" Archer replied, thrusting his blade forward, forcing CJ to jump back.

"You're slower than I remember." CJ insulted, lunging back at Archer.

"And you're way meaner." Archer retorted, blocking CJ's sword and locking up with her.

"You don't like my teasing?" CJ asked with a smile, as the two monetarily stood still.

"What? Surprised?" Archer grinned as he pushed into her, making her step back.

"Last time it didn't seem to bother you all that much." CJ grunted a little, trying to stay upright.

"Times have changed." Archer simply replied, angling Excalibur so that the blade was pointed at CJ's neck.

With a lighting quick reaction, CJ ducked under Archer's blade, kicked out, hitting Archer on the knee, and rolled away to create some space between them.

Archer temporarily staggered, reacting to the sudden change in the fight and the pain in his knee. "Goddamn, I should have seen that coming." He grunted.

"So, why didn't you?" CJ mocked as she came at him again.

"Momentary lapse of judgement." Archer replied as he started blocking CJ's strikes again.

And so, the fighting continued. As CJ and Archer jumped around, slashing at each other and occasionally shouting verbal taunts, the other people present continued their individual duels.

Jay and Harry Hook were still going at it, violently. The few moments Archer was able to look in their direction, he would mostly see the two of them locked up and trying to push the other down. Beside them, Lonnie and Freddie were dueling two people, the tall, dark-haired boy and the pirate Archer had wounded before. The other pirate Lonnie had faced was on the ground, seemingly unconscious. Carlos and the broad-shouldered guy were now closer to Archer and CJ, with the latter pushing back on the former.

Ben and Mal had found each other and were fighting side by side against two opponents. Uma looked furious, hacking viciously at Mal and yelling obscenities all the while. The other opponent was the aqua-green haired girl, who interjected her sword slashes with simple spells aimed at Ben.

Evie was equally active, taking on two opponents. Both Zevon and the shotgun guy had pulled their swords, and it apparently took their all to counter Evie, who switched between either gracefully dodging their strikes or lashing out at them with her sword.

Lance, in the meantime, was locked in a full-on magic battle with Solomon. The latter had apparently never had to use his magic for combat purposes and was visibly annoyed with the amount of resistance Lance managed to put up. Sparks flew everywhere as both combatants unleashed every spell in their respective repertoires at the other. It got to the point where an actual crack in the earth appeared, making members of either party stumble on their feet.

"Just give up, will you?" CJ whined as she struck at Archer again.

"Why would I? When I'm just having so much fun." Archer replied, blocking her strike before kicking at CJ.

CJ span out of Archer's lock and took a well-aimed strike at Archer, who didn't react quick enough and felt the cold steel pierce his left shoulder.

"Oww, damn!" Archer exclaimed as he momentarily stepped back and inspected his shoulder.

"Aww, is the little boy hurt?" CJ mocked, approaching him.

"You should really not make me angry." Archer retorted, raising Excalibur.

"It will not help you win this fight either way." CJ grinned.

"Wow, getting cocky is really not a good look on you." Archer responded, getting back into fighting stance.

To his astonishment, Archer saw a quick blush appear on CJ's cheeks, but she appeared to want to make up for that moment by fiercely lunging at him again.

"Jeez, what's gotten you so worked up?" Archer asked as he ducked under one of CJ's swings and aimed a slash at her legs.

"Nothing!" CJ grunted, blocking Archer's slash before kicking at him.

Archer pushed at her leg, making CJ lose her balance. He then took advantage, sweeping her other leg to make her fall down hard.

"Had enough?" Archer asked, a slight pant present in his voice.

CJ jumped back up immediately. "We're not done here!"

Their fight continued, but both parties were visibly exhausted at this point. Neither of them were able to perform their best moves anymore, and most time was now dedicated to a few quick slashes or staying back to catch some breath.

The fighters around Archer weren't in a much better position.

Solomon, Uma and the green-haired girl had teamed up, firing spells left and right. Lancelot and Mal did their best to contain the damage but did not succeed completely. On the other side, Evie and Ben had joined up with the people still using swords. Some of the villains, including Zevon and the two pirates, had been incapacitated, meaning the good guys now had a numerical advantage.

Chad had come to, though he was obviously still a bit woozy, but Jordan remained unconscious. Aden, Alex and Royce had been joined in the sick-bay by Carlos, who pressed onto a wound on his arm.

"Archer!" Royce called out to him when he passed by again in his duel with CJ.

"What?" Archer replied loudly after creating some space.

"We have to go! Come on!" Royce yelled.

Archer was then only narrowly able to dodge a strike from CJ by sidestepping her. He followed that up with a swing at her head, meaning she pretty much had to let herself fall flat to the ground to not get hit.

Before Archer could capitalize on his advantage, CJ sprang back up and slashed at his arm. Through more luck than skill, Archer managed to lock up the slash, using his left wrist guard for support. He pulled CJ closer to him, the blade of Excalibur near her throat.

CJ groaned and wiggled in his grip, trying her best to push Archer's blade away with her own. "Let go!"

"Just surrender!" Archer grunted in reply, putting more effort into keeping CJ's blade locked.

CJ kicked at him, but Archer took it, not willing to waste this advantage. Unwilling as ever to surrender, CJ kept kicking, hoping to somehow get released.

"Stupid asshole!" CJ groaned, her kicks decreasing in strength a little.

"Come on, CJ!" Archer exclaimed, still holding his blade to her throat.

CJ immediately stopped kicking and looked up at Archer, straight in his eyes.

"Y-you know my name?" She asks, sounding genuinely perplexed.

"Y-yeah…" Archer replied, a bit uncertain.

"H-how do you know my name?" CJ continued, her grip on Archer slacking a little.

"I-ehm… T-they told-" Archer began, before both he and CJ were suddenly blasted off their feet by an enormous ball of fire.

Archer landed painfully on his side and it took him a few seconds to make sense of his surroundings as everything was initially blurry.

A person ran past him, followed by another and then he suddenly felt a pair of hands on his arm.

"Archer! Come on!" Someone yelled in his ear.

Archer hastily scrambled back up, taking a second to regain his steady footing. "Wha- what's going on?" He mumbled.

"Archer, we're leaving!" Someone yelled again.

Archer focused and saw Lonnie in front of him, she looked a little roughed up from the fighting and had a cut on her cheek, but otherwise appeared unscathed.

When he looked around more, he saw all his friends gathered behind him, with some of the uninjured helping those who got hurt.

"What's happening?" Archer asked.

"Lance is activating another teleportal! Mal's trying to keep the bad guys back, but we have to hurry!" Lonnie urged.

When Archer looked back, he indeed saw Mal standing near the river with both arms raised over her head. Ben stood next to her, his sword in hand and looking very distraught.

Looking back at the others, Archer saw yet another bright sphere appear in the open air, which then quickly expanded into another gateway. Archer approached the others, but mainly Lance to discuss things with him.

"Look at you, finally able to join us." Lance said without looking at him.

"I was busy." Archer retorted.

"I could see that. Your girlfriend did not appear to be very happy that we joined the party." Lance replied with a hint of sass.

"What's the plan?" Archer asked instead of replying to Lance's comment.

"This teleportal is aimed for Beast Castle. Some of the uninjured take some who are along with them." Lance explained.

"What about Mal? She can't hold those freaks off for long." Archer said with a look back.

"I was actually wondering if you could help with that while I establish the teleportal." Lance replied.

Archer briefly scoffed before raising Excalibur and heading back into the fight. He joined Ben at Mal's side, with both of them watching as Mal apparently tried her best to keep an invisible shield between them and the villains activated.

"Mal, can we help?" Archer asked.

"Taking out the magic users would be nice!" Mal grunted, her face scrunched up in effort.

"You got it, come on!" Archer told Ben as they headed around Mal.

"Can we move through that barrier?" Ben asked.

"Not sure." Archer answered truthfully.

"Only one way to find out then." Ben replied with a small smile.

"We just have to buy the others some time, try to not get yourself killed please." Archer grinned.

"I can't promise a thing." Ben replied.

"Ready?" Archer asked.

"Let's go!" Ben answered.

Archer and Ben both jumped through the barrier and were immediately met by a villain welcome party consisting of Harry Hook, the tall dark-haired boy and the green-haired girl.

Ben began slashing at Harry Hook, who had already received a brand-new cut on his face, while Archer took on the other two. The tall boy struck at Archer, who easily managed to sidestep and even lock up his opponent's sword before smacking it out of his hands.

When he then looked up, he saw the aqua-green haired girl raise her hands and several purple sparks flew in his direction. Not sure what to do, Archer tried to block the sparks with Excalibur.

To both his and his opponent's surprise, the sparks pretty much vanished into the blade of Excalibur. For one second, Archer just stared in both shock and awe as he had not even seen this happen or expected it to.

Before he could truly wonder about how this effect came to be, the dark-haired boy jumped at him, hoping to somehow knock him over. Archer again sidestepped him and slashed at his legs, only to take him out of the fight.

Balls of fire suddenly came from behind him and rained down on their enemies, who all scattered in a panic.

When he looked back, Archer saw Mal with her arms raised and her eyes glowing bright green. Next to him, Ben had managed to push back Harry Hook, who now also took cover from Mal's fiery barrage.

"Guys! Come back!" A voice yelled.

Ben and Archer gave each other one confirming nod before heading back behind Mal and towards their friends.

"Mal, come on." Ben grunted, looking back if the villains decided to attack again.

"I can hold them!" Mal responded, still raining down fire.

"We need to go, you're no good to us dead." Archer jumped in, failing to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

"I'll be right with you." Mal tried to reassure them.

"You're not staying behind! Not alone." Ben retorted.

"Move back a little, then just jump into the portal when you see an opportunity. Please Mal." Archer pleaded.

Mal looked at Ben, seemingly conflicted, but nodded nonetheless.

"Guys, what are you waiting for?" Lonnie yelled as she joined them. "We need to get the others out. Jordan is not looking very good."

"How's Lance doing with the portal?" Archer asked.

"He said that the hostile environment is making it harder to concentrate, but he'll make it work." Lonnie answered.

"Good, come on Ben, let's help the others." Archer followed up.

Ben nodded, gave Mal one more hesitant look, and then joined Lonnie and Archer.

All of their friends were now standing in a circle around Lancelot, who had his arm raised and softly murmured as another bright sphere appeared right before them and quickly expanded.

"Okay, I've got it but I don't know for how long." Lance grunted.

"We go in two at a time, everyone supporting someone who's wounded." Lonnie explained.

"Jay! Go first!" Lance then yelled at Jay, who was carrying a still unconscious Jordan in his arms.

Jay just nodded before looking at the floating portal uneasily.

"Just step in, the portal will do the rest." Lance reassured him.

Without a second doubt, Jay walked into the portal, disappearing within a second.

"Freddie, you're next." Lance continued, not looking back at the others.

Freddie, who had one of the still groggy Chad's arms slung across her shoulders, also looked uneasily at the bright, glowing portal before stepping forward as well.

"Lance!" Archer exclaimed as he went to stand by his friend. "Mal is keeping the others off, but she can't hold out forever."

"So we do this fast, get everyone out as quickly as possible." Lance replied, grinding his teeth.

"You know that… That this way you'll stay behind, right?" Archer hesitantly asked.

"I know, but I'll get myself to safety. Unlike you I can teleport to a known location." Lance answered.

"Will you be able to though? With all the villains?" Archer questioned.

"I'm not a rookie, or I'd like to think so. Don't worry about me friend." Lancelot reassured Archer, right as Royce and Carlos stepped forward, both clutching each other.

"Good luck then." Archer said, to which Lance just nodded.

Archer focused back on the fight, while Royce and Carlos were the next people to step through. Lonnie and Ben stood next to Mal, ready to help wherever they could. Alex, Aden and Evie were huddled together in front of them, seemingly in a discussion.

"I can do it, you just go Evie!" Alex yelled.

"You're in no position to say that, just get yourself out of here!" Evie retorted.

"Guys, what's going on?" Archer asked as he kneeled down next to them.

Evie answered before Alex could open his mouth. "Aden can't walk and even though he is injured, Alex wants to take him through the portal.

"I'm not that injured." Alex mumbled, still clutching his bandaged arm tightly.

"Can you hold him, Evie?" Archer asked.

"Of course I can." Evie answered.

"Guys…" Aden weakly interjected. "As the person who will be carried, do I get a say in all this?"

"What is it Aden?" Archer responded.

"Alex, you should go, we can't risk the both of us ending up somewhere injured. We would have nothing. Evie can handle it, trust her." Aden explained.

Alex blushed a bit, but stood up nonetheless with his injured arm. "I'll see you on the other side then." He brusquely told the others before heading through the portal alone.

"Alright, Evie come get him up, you're going next." Archer told her.

"What about the others?" Evie asked worriedly as she started supporting Aden.

"I'll get them, don't worry." Archer replied as he ran past her and towards the still fighting parties. Ben and Lonnie had once again ventured outside Mal's protective shield and were heavily dueling. Mal appeared tired, her arms trembling and her forehead covered in sweat. "Are you okay?" Archer asked as soon as he stood next to her.

"I'm fine." Mal answered, sounding exhausted.

"We're getting the rest out, just hold on for a little longer." Archer pleaded.

"What's it look like I've been doing?" Mal panted.

Archer didn't respond, instead jumping through the barrier again in a simple effort to simply drag Ben and Lonnie back. "We're leaving! Everyone retreat!" He yelled.

Ben, who had been clashing swords with two enemies, looked back and nodded. Lonnie, who had just disarmed the green-haired girl, also immediately stepped back behind Mal's protection.

"What's the plan?" Ben asked, slightly panting, as he and Lonnie joined up with Archer and Mal.

"Everyone is being transported as we speak. Ben, you and Lonnie follow Evie and Aden. Mal will keep up her protective spell and I will do what I can to help her. Mal will then leave before I do and Lance will teleport himself last." Archer explained.

"Can he do that?" Lonnie asked.

"He can, he will be in no danger." Archer tried to reassure her.

"What about you? You won't have Mal's protection." Ben questioned worriedly.

"I can handle them and if anything I will leave five seconds after her at most." Archer replied.

Ben looked back uneasily at Lance still holding the portal open and Evie dragging the wounded Aden along. "Don't do anything stupid." He then said to Archer, who just grinned.

Ben and Lonnie then ran over to Aden and Evie, ready to help if necessary. Archer actually approached Mal again.

"Can you move back, we need you in that portal as fast as possible." He told her.

"Yeah, sure." Mal mumbled softly, her eyes fixated on the protective shield which was still being heavily bombarded by enemy attacks.

Both Archer and Mal thus shuffled back, the protective shield moving along as well. Archer kept his eyes focused on the blurry villains just out his reach, them creeping closer as well. All of the sudden, the transparent shield flickered, momentarily clearing up the people on the other side. When Archer looked beside him, he saw that Mal had slipped over a couple of loose rocks and was trying to scramble back up as fast as possible.

As the shield was temporarily inactive, the villains took full advantage and an abundance of spells immediately flew right past Archer and Mal towards the others.

To his horror, Archer saw how a bolt of lightning only narrowly missed Lancelot, who was forced to jump out of its path. The portal, where Aden and Evie where just about to step through, flickered for a second before returning to its normal, bright and glowing form.

Aden and Evie noticeably hesitated, standing still right in front of the portal.

"Go! Go!" Lance yelled as he raised his staff again.

Not wanting to cause anymore of a holdup, Aden and Evie quickly moved through the portal.

Ben and Lonnie now hesitated as well, with the former looking back at Mal quite panicky. Archer made a desperate hand gesture, hoping that Ben would leave as soon as possible. After one more hesitant second, Ben obeyed, stepping through the portal with Lonnie following suite.

This only left Archer, Mal and Lance for now, exactly as they had planned. There was only a couple of feet between them and the portal, their way out.

"Are you ready, Mal?" Archer asked, already raising Excalibur.

"I'm not going, not before you." Mal grunted.

"This is not a discussion, this is an order!" Archer responded, equally stubborn.

"You can't order me around!" Mal retorted, her eyes meeting his for a moment.

"I can, and I will this time! Why do you think we came all the way out here?" Archer spat. "Get through that portal right now!"

Mal's eyes pretty much screamed defiance, but after one more rebellious look at her protective shield, she dropped her hands and ran towards the portal, disappearing within a second.

With the shield gone, all the spells which were previously being held back suddenly broke through, forcing Archer to dodge a few. Immediately, the villains started rushing him as well, so Archer didn't waste any time and sprinted towards the portal, which was still held open.

Right before he reached it, he felt something bump into him roughly from behind, which would have made him fall flat to the ground if the portal hadn't been there. Instead, Archer fell face-first through the portal, the heavy weight still on his back. What followed, was one of the weirdest sensations Archer had ever felt, as he helplessly tumbled through the portal, still with that weight on his back.

For just over half a minute, Archer simply fell through the strange nothing of the portal, with all he could do was simply focus on his destination, Auradon prep.

The falling abruptly stopped as Archer was pushed out of the other end of the portal.

Instead of grass, Archer landed in something cold, very cold. The heavy weight was removed from his back and he heard something drop right beside him.

Archer scrambled up, his feet slipping on a relatively steep patch of ground which was covered in snow. Snow? How was the ground covered in snow? He looked around, and all he could see was what appeared to be a snow-covered mountain top. Archer turned, but all he could see were mountains, snow and sky.

What happened? How had Lance's portal transported him to this place? What was this place actually? Was he still in Auradon?

As Archer looked in every direction, he suddenly noticed that he wasn't alone. Someone else had been transported along with him.

But how?


	26. Chapter 26: Return

**I know that it has taken a bit longer recently to write chapters, but please stay tuned because I am still writing and fully intend on finishing the story. I have been in the middle of exam period, but now that that's done you can expect chapters more regularly.**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 26: Return

Mal closed her eyes against the sickening spinning and the bright light, which both only enhanced her already throbbing headache. For several seconds, she felt herself fall through nothing, which was quite an uncommon and uncomfortable sensation for her. All she could really think of was her destination, Beast Castle. In her confused and bewildered mind, those were the only two words she kept repeating to herself. Right at the moment she felt as though she was gonna puke, her legs suddenly touched solid ground and couldn't help but let herself fall onto the ground and roll along for a bit.

She felt soft grass underneath her and heard several voices above her head. A calm, soothing feeling came over her as she realized that she must have arrived at the correct destination, seeing as how no one had tried to attack her yet. She did not open her eyes yet, simply content to enjoy these precious few seconds of rest before undoubtedly having to endure the cruel harshness of her current reality.

The full realization of what had happened shot through her mind, and she already groaned loudly when thinking of her own stupidity. She had led her friends into an ambush, even after disregarding the warning Ben had given her about that exact scenario. The images of what had happened in the past hour went through her mind. She remembered the grinning faces of Uma, Solomon and the other villains as they closed in on her, the desperation on those of her friends as they scrambled to escape and flashes of the terrifying battle she had just experienced.

Suddenly she remembered her friends, particularly those who'd gotten wounded during the fight. She vividly recounted how she had seen Jordan being flung through the air and landing unconsciously in her arms. Aden, Alex and Royce had all been wounded to the point they hadn't even been able to stand. It was all her fault.

Another image now clearly imprinted in her memory was that of Ben, standing on top of the hill. The look he had given her had been one of anger, determination and fear. The hope and joy she had felt when she saw him had almost immediately been squashed as she realized that not only had he endangered himself and others by coming to rescue her, but also that he would most likely be very disappointed in her again for blatantly disregarding his orders.

Mal knew how angry Ben would be, but she pressed on anyway, hoping that apprehending the villains would somehow lessen his negative feelings.

Now she had not only not caught the villains though, she had also led her friends straight into a trap and they had in turn sacrificed their own wellbeing to ensure her escape.

Thinking back on it made Mal sick. Right now, she did not deserve anyone's help or pity, not before she made sure all her friends would fully recover.

That's when a loud scream got her attention.

"Aargh! God fucking dammit!" Someone yelled from several yards behind her.

Mal turned onto her back and propped herself up on her elbows. Looking back, she saw about half a dozen people clustered behind her, most of them laying on the ground.

"Sit still!" Freddie hissed as she tightly wound a piece of cloth around Royce's leg.

"God damn! Just call a fucking ambulance, will you?" The latter replied, throwing his hands in his face as he let himself drop back to the ground.

"It's on its way." Jay replied as he limped over to them. "We need one quick, I-I don't know what's going on with Jordan…"

"She's breathing." Alex commented as he felt Jordan's wrist.

"Why isn't she waking up?" Freddie asked, almost hysterically.

"Whatever that maniac did to her wasn't pretty." Jay commented, before his eyed suddenly met Mal's.

"Mal! Mal! Are you alright?" He yelled as he ran over to her and kneeled down at her side.

"I-I'm fine… I think…" Mal softly replied, still looking at the others.

"Jay? Is something wrong?" Carlos asked, apparently not having heard Mal's reply.

"I-I think she's alright…" Jay answered, not looking away from Mal.

Suddenly, a loud groaning erupted from behind Mal. When she looked back, she saw Chad laying flat out on his chest, his hands softly rubbing his own head.

Mal wanted to stand up to check up on him but Jay placed his hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down.

"Calm down Mal, you're bleeding." He shushed her as he took a rag out of his back pocket and pressed it against the side of her head.

Mal winced as the place Jay was treating began to sting, but she endured nonetheless.

"Ben…" She mumbled, trying to look past Jay to see if she could spot any others, now pressing the rag against her head by herself.

"B-ben?" Jay questioned. "H-he came with you, right?"

Mal's eyes widened as she felt the first stab of fear in her heart. "N-no… He, ehm… H-he left before me… Where is he?" She asked.

"He's not here…" Jay replied, obviously shocked. "Wait? D-did you see when Lonnie left?"

"She left with Ben…" Mal answered, her voice monotone but her thoughts screaming in fear and confusion.

"Where did they go? D-did they transport somewhere else!?" Jay continued, the urgency clear in his voice.

Mal panicked as she tried to gather her thoughts, but nothing came to mind. No, no, Ben and the others were supposed to head to the same location as they were, so why weren't they here? Had something gone wrong? Had they somehow not managed to escape the field of battle? Had they now fallen to the clutches of their enemies?

"T-they should be here." Mal said more sharply as she now did scramble back up.

"M-maybe their portal journey takes a little longer?" Jay questioned

"They left before me!" Mal repeated more panicky as she stood up and looked around.

Freddie, Carlos, Jordan, Alex and Royce all laid on the ground in a huddle, looking after their wounds. Jay stood next to her, visibly distraught, and Chad turned onto his back behind her. Mal looked in every direction, hoping against better knowledge that maybe Ben and Lonnie had somehow appeared only a few yards or something from their current position. On the entire grounds, there was no movement however.

"Ben! Ben!" Mal yelled, hoping that her fiancé might have simply been transported a few feet away.

"Lonnie!" Jay joined in, scanning the castle and the trees in the distance.

"Guys? What, ehm…" Freddie began, looking at them.

"Has anyone seen Ben?" Mal asked the people around her, her eyes wide.

"Or Lonnie?" Jay jumped in.

"W-with you… They were still with you when we left." Freddie answered, her eyes widening in fear as well.

"Did everyone leave before you?" Alex asked, momentarily looking up from Jordan.

"Y-yes… Everyone except Archer and Lance." Mal answered.

"Are they still there?" Royce asked, propping up on his elbows.

"T-they said they'd follow right after me." Mal replied breathlessly.

"Then, where are they? And where's Ben?" Royce followed up.

"And Aden?" Alex jumped in before Mal could answer. "Has anyone seen him?"

"Aden?" Jay mumbled, again scanning his surroundings.

"He was supposed to leave right after me… He, ehm, he left with…" Alex began, before looking at Mal.

"Evie…" Mal breathlessly said, mostly to herself.

"Evie!?" Both Jay and Carlos exclaimed.

"Evie. Evie helped Aden into the portal, right before Ben and Lonnie left." Mal recounted.

"S-so where did they go? And where's Archer? And Lance?" Alex questioned.

As if summoned, a bright light appeared a few yards to Mal's right and a somewhat disheveled looking Lancelot appeared. He blinked a couple of times in the bright light of the setting sun before looking around. His eyes eventually landed on Mal and the people around her. His look, which was initially relieved, quickly turned sour as he marched towards them.

"Do you have any idea what you've done!?" He thundered as he approached Mal, his staff thumping on the ground with every step.

Jay immediately got in between Mal and him, taking a protective stance. "Lance, calm down!" He said with authority.

"Like hell I will!" Lance retorted, his face immediately turning red. "That was a complete shambles out there! If… Ehm… S-she could have gotten all of us killed!"

Mal looked away, both angry and embarrassed. Her eyes met those of Carlos, who had wound some cloth around the wound on his arm. He too looked at Mal unhappily, though his was more of an indignant than an angry look.

"But we're still alive, so back off a little and please take a look at Jordan." Jay urged.

Lance's eyes immediately shot at Jordan, who still laid unconsciously in Alex's arms. After one more glare at Jay and Mal, Lancelot kneeled down and examined Jordan's wounds.

"Did any of you see what hit her?" Lance asked, inspecting the scorched mark on Jordan's stomach.

"Some sort of fireball, it hit her right in the stomach and flung her through the air." Alex answered.

"Dark magic…" Lance mumbled to himself. "She won't die, but we'll need a magical healer when we get to the hospital."

"We already called an ambulance." Freddie said meekly as she stood up.

Lancelot shot her a glare as well, before turning towards Alex and Royce. "How are you feeling?"

"Just delightful." Royce answered, one arm covering his face.

"Nothing too serious." Alex commented, tugging on the cloth around his arm.

"Idiots." Lance mumbled as he stood up. "Complete and utter idiots."

"We love you too, pal." Royce sneered.

"What got into you to follow her?" Lance spat, gesturing at Mal.

"We were hunting bad guys, it's not like it was a major change of pace for us." Royce replied.

"Ben had strictly forbidden you all from chasing after that lead! We talked about this! You will all face your punishment! W-where's Ben? What did he already say about this?" Lance followed up as he looked around.

"We were actually hoping you could shed some light on that." Jay replied rather unkindly. "Ben's not here, and neither are Lonnie, Evie, Archer and Aden. Where did you send them?"

Lancelot looked perplexed. "W-what? I-I didn't send them anywhere. T-they were supposed to go here. This was our rendezvous."

"Well, they're not here." Jay replied. "What happened?"

Lance blinked, visibly confused, before he again scanned his surroundings as if he expected their missing friends to pop up out of thin air. His eyes then turned to Mal.

"You. You left after Ben but before Archer… How are you here while they aren't?" He asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" Mal answered a bit defensively. "That thing… That was your portal, right? If anything, you should know what happened." She continued, her voice almost getting caught in her throat. If even Lance didn't know what had happened, then Ben and the others could truly be in danger.

"Ben! Archer!" Lancelot yelled, similarly to what Mal and Jay had already done.

"We already yelled, no one answered." Jay replied.

Lance gave Jay one piercing look before walking a few paces away from them and looking around, as if the others might have been hidden somewhere. When that effort failed, Lance looked up into the sky and then at the ground before subsequently looking at his staff, biting his lip as he gathered his thoughts. He spoke one quick incantation, making the top of his staff flare up brightly for a second. His look darkened as he let his eyes wander across the terrain surrounding Beast Castle again.

"Shit." Lance eventually muttered before reaching into a small satchel attached to his belt.

"What? Is something wrong?" Mal asked.

"They, ehm… They might have been incorrectly relocated." Lance mumbled as he took a relatively old looking mobile phone from his satchel.

"Come again?" Carlos asked as he stood up and joined Mal and Jay.

"Incorrect location. It happens when either the transported does not focus correctly or the transporter experiences disturbances during the time of teleportation." Lancelot explained, hastily opening up his phone and beginning to type.

"W-what does that mean? Where is Lonnie?" Jay asked loudly, his hands shaking.

"I don't know." Lance simply replied as he dialed the final numbers and held the phone to his ear.

"What are you doing?" Mal asked, but Lancelot shushed her with a simple finger.

For a few seconds, Mal, Carlos and Jay simply stared at Lancelot as he kept his phone to his ear but didn't speak. Lance then scrunches up his eyes before putting his phone back down and muttering some unintelligible words.

"What?" Jay asked.

"He doesn't have his cellphone. Ben doesn't have his cellphone." Lancelot mumbled, looking up into the sky in annoyance.

"But… Y-you have no idea where you sent him?" Mal asked, only now realizing the desperation of their predicament.

Lancelot shook his head, also seemingly lost for a moment. "I suppose you don't know if any of the others carries their phone?"

Everyone shook their head. "None of us brought any because we didn't want to get contacted." Jay mumbled.

"Then they're lost…" Lancelot sighed. "All we can do is wait for them to contact us."

"C-contact us? Without phones?" Carlos questioned.

"It's not ideal, but we don't have an alternative." Lancelot replied.

"Come on… T-there has to be a way to find them, right? Like, the way you tracked Mal." Carlos offered.

"I tracked Mal's magic. A powerful enough magic source can be used to steer teleportation… Ben has none to speak of, and neither do Evie, Lonnie or Aden." Lancelot replied, his eyes cast down.

"Archer has magic! Track him!" Mal offered, a sense of hope flaring up inside her.

"Excalibur has magic, Archer is just a vessel through which it is conducted." Lancelot explained.

"So, can't you track Excalibur then?" Jay offered.

"No, only magic users, no magical objects." Lancelot replied.

Mal felt even more guilty. Ben had once again set out to rescue her and now he was lost, along with several others. What if Ben would get killed because of this, or injured? Mal was unsure if she could live with herself knowing she was the reason Ben would have gone out in the first place.

"We need to find them." Mal said, mostly to herself. "Organize a search party, gather some troops and have them look for them."

"Where do we even start?" Lancelot asked indignant. "We have no idea where they've been sent. Teleportals are extremely hazardous when used incorrectly. There's no way to track where the others have ended up, for all we know they could be outside the borders of Auradon, or in the middle of the ocean."

"How do we know they're not still where we left them? M-maybe the portal thing didn't work for them?" Jay suggested, though he seemed less than thrilled at the prospect.

"I was the last to leave, no one from our side was still present at that battle." Lancelot reassured him. "However, the portal could have malfunctioned in a way that saw them dropped off in a nearby location, in which case they're still close to the villains."

Mal eyes flared green as Lance said that, a reaction to the sudden spike of fear that erupted inside her.

"There must be something we can do…" Mal whined.

Lancelot still looked at her with something resembling distrust, but he softened up a little nonetheless as he saw her fear-stricken face. "Ehm… I-I don't know… To search the place now would be dangerous and time consuming. I will not conjure up another teleportal, not after this debacle."

"B-but we have to do something! Ben and the others are out there, all alone and who knows what kind of danger they could run into?" Mal stammered.

"I can assure you it will be less dangerous than the situation you dragged us into." Lance replied in a cold tone.

Mal looked away, both angry and embarrassed, while Jay instead made a move as if he was planning on hitting Lancelot. Carlos extended his arm however, directing both Jay and Mal away.

"We have to do something." Mal pleaded, hoping that Carlos would somehow know a way.

Carlos looked incredibly uneasy, twiddling his thumbs a little. "Mal… I-I don't know about magic…"

"But you have all your technology and stuff." Mal replied. "Can't you just, ehm, make a tracking device or something?"

Now Carlos looked even more uneasy, and a bit rebellious. "I can't just whip up some new tracking invention, Mal. I-I'm afraid Lance is right… There's nothing we can do…"

Hearing those words from one of the most perpetually optimistic people Mal knew was really a blow to her heart, especially because Carlos still gave her that look. That look she feared the most, especially from those close to her. That look paired disappointment, anger, sadness and distrust.

Before Mal could plead any further, the loud wailing of sirens was heard from a distance. Everyone looked at the edge of the terrain to see several ambulances roll up, with the sirens blaring loudly and blinking in bright blue and red.

When the ambulances stopped closely to them, a number of hospital workers stepped out and rushed at them. The still unconscious Jordan and the somewhat groggy Chad were carried out on stretchers, while the wounded Alex, Royce, Carlos and Mal were given minor treatment before being taken to the hospital as well. The other, uninjured people were allowed to ride along to keep the others company.

Mal felt even more horrible when she was directed into the large building by several paramedics. After her encounter with Uma and Harry on the isle and her subsequent recovery, she had vowed to from then on spend as little time as possible in there.

Her annoyance only grew as doctors and nurses inspected all of her wounds one at a time, taking their sweet time doing so. Naturally, since Mal was to be their queen, they probably saw her as a priority patient.

Mal just let them do their thing, hoping it would be over sooner if she simply tried to ignore the procedure. She was feeling fine, well, physically at least. The wounds she had sustained from their most recent battle didn't faze her much. One relatively shallow cut on the head, another on her leg and a couple of bruises was all. She'd had much worse.

When she finally left the surgery room, sporting a fresh new band aid on her head, she saw that the uninjured had been joined by several other people.

Jay, Freddie, Lancelot and the freshly bandaged up Carlos and Alex were now confronted by Doug, Jane and Audrey.

When they spotted Mal, Doug and Audrey immediately sprinted at her.

"E-evie's missing!? She's missing!?" Doug exclaimed, his eyes wide and face red with either anger or panic.

Mal couldn't answer straight away. In all the time she'd spent in Auradon, she had never seen Doug lose control of his emotions like this. Still, since Evie was indeed missing he had every right to be upset.

"Ehm, yes… Yes, she's missing." Mal answered meekly, not looking Doug in the eyes.

Doug put his hands in front of his eyes, looking as though he could burst out screaming at any moment now.

"W-we're going to find her, Doug. Her and all the others." Mal tried to reassure him, though she knew how empty that promise must have sounded.

"How!?" Doug asked aggressively. "Tell me you have an exact plan! Tell me you know that they are alright!"

"I just know…" Mal answered, only now looking straight at Doug.

Of this, she was sure. Ben was out there, as well as Evie, Archer, Lonnie and Aden. In her heart, Mal could tell that all of them were still alive and kicking.

Doug didn't take too kindly to her answer though, with his face turning even redder before he took a seat on the nearest bench and buried his face in his hands.

Audrey then approached Mal, looking very insecure and distraught. "The others say Ben is missing too." She slowly said as she twiddled her thumbs.

"Yeah… Ehm, he is…" Mal replied, an uncomfortable lump forming in her throat.

Audrey tightened her lips. "Y-you realize what this means right? Ben, ehm, he's the king… Auradon needs its king…"

"I do realize that, Audrey. Thanks for mentioning it." Mal retorted.

"The consequences will be huge if we can't find him." Audrey went on.

"That's why we will! I for one am not planning on sleeping until we find him!" Mal replied confidently.

"That's good to know…" Audrey said, raising her head. "Since you were once again the one who got us in this mess."

She had said that just loud enough for the people at the end of the hallway to hear, and they all froze in place and stopped talking.

Mal's breathing quickened. "Excuse me?" She grunted, her jaw locked.

"This is your fault! You must realize that, right? You went out on that stupid mission of yours and now there are people injured and missing! Don't you ever get tired of screwing up people's lives!?" Audrey fell out at her.

Mal was momentarily taken aback, feeling the anger and resentment boiling up inside of her. Before she could respond to Audrey with some words she might have regretted later on, the others already caught up with them.

"Audrey, that's enough!" Alex said with a snarl.

Audrey spun around to look at him, her hair sweeping over her shoulder. "How can you support her? She has gone behind the backs of everyone again and look where that got us! Aren't you mad that she forced you all to bail her out of danger yet again!"

"She didn't force us!" Jay sneered. "Everyone who joined Mal did so out of free will. And for the record, we did not ask anyone to come save us!"

"Well, you didn't give us that much of a choice." Carlos mumbled, making Jay look up to the ceiling in annoyance.

"Still, it was you who took the lead!" Audrey continued, poking a finger at Mal. "You who almost got everyone killed and you who again endangered the entire kingdom!"

"Audrey!" Lancelot said loudly. "A fitting punishment is still to be determined, but Mal is still your classmate and your queen-to-be so don't treat her such disrespect."

Mal was only semi-relieved when Lance intervened. On the one hand, Audrey's accusations really hit close to home and she was glad someone stood up against her, but on the other hand she knew that Lance purely stuck up for her position and not for her as a person. Mal knew that, if he had the choice, Lance would see her punished severely with some form of imprisonment or banishment for her crimes against the kingdom. Lance was a pure follower of the rules, and blatantly disregarding an order by the king and endangering the lives of multiple people was probably quite a hefty crime in Auradonian court.

Mal wondered if Ben would feel similarly now. She loved to believe that his love for her would trump the anger about her decision to chase after the villains, but Mal couldn't be sure. Ben and she had not buttered well for some time now, especially when discussing matters surrounding the villain invasion. He had not reacted angrily towards her when they battled their enemies, but Mal suspected that was more due to the urgency of the situation than because he felt no resentment towards her. These arguments they'd had regarding the villain attacks had arguably been the biggest of their entire relationship. What would Ben do if he would find out what had happened to their friends, some of whom had gotten injured?

Would he break off the engagement, or break up with her entirely? Would he take it a step further and actually send her to prison or banish her from Auradon? Where would she go? She couldn't go back to the isle; the people there wanted her dead. She couldn't go beyond the borders of Auradon; no one knew what was beyond them.

Mal had to have hope. Despite their differing opinions, she still loved Ben profoundly and would do whatever she could to save their relationship. She could only hope he wanted the same.

Meanwhile, Audrey had headed Lance's words and angrily turned around after giving Mal one last foul glare.

Jay wanted to put his hand on Mal's shoulder, but she shook it off, wanting more than anything to be alone at the moment.

"You okay?" Jay then asked, recognizing Mal's mood.

Mal just shook her head, not looking anyone in the eye.

"We'll be here if you need us." Jay then softly followed up before walking back to the end of the hallway, soon being followed by the others.

Mal watched as the door at the end of the hallway then opened up and Royce stepped out on crutches, but with a broad smile. Whatever he said was lost to her as the others greeted him, but she could not keep her eyes off of all of them. Most had some sort of cast, band aids or bandages at one body part or another, and she could not shake the uneasy feeling of regret, which was inarguably the feeling she hated the most.


	27. Chapter 27: Scattered

**I know that it has taken a bit longer recently to write chapters, but please stay tuned because I am still writing and fully intend on finishing the story. I have been in the middle of exam period, but now that that's done you can expect chapters more regularly.**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 27: Scattered

"What the hell?" These were the first words out of Ben's mouth as he exited the portal that had been conjured up by Lance. Around him, he did not see the familiar site of Beast Castle or its surroundings, instead he saw a dense forest with tall and thick trees in every direction. Before being able to utter another word, something crashed into him from behind, making him fall flat on his chest.

"Ow! W-what…" He began as he rolled away from what he thought could be an attacker before scrambling back onto his legs.

It was just Lonnie however with several messed-up strands of hair covering her confused face. "B-ben?" She stammered as she first looked at him before examining her surroundings. "Ben, where are we?"

"I-I don't know…" Ben replied as he stood up and took in the place they had appeared in more closely. The trees were much larger and a different species than he was used to around Auradon City, so they had to have travelled quite a distance.

"W-what happened? D-did something go wrong?" Lonnie asked, raising her sword against any possible attackers.

"I think so, but I don't know what." Ben answered, trying to gather his thoughts. He had read about teleportals before, but the details were vague. He tried to recall what one of his mother's many books recounted on the subject and eventually remembered that teleportals were classified as one of the most delicate pieces of magic, in the sense that any tampering could result in disaster. "I think we might have been accidentally sent somewhere else…" He eventually said.

"Where?" Lonnie asked again.

"No clue." Ben answered, again simply looking around as if the name of their current location would somehow pop up out of thin air.

"Where are the others? D-did they make it out alright?" Lonnie asked fearfully.

"I don't know." Ben replied, equally confused and afraid. The more he thought about answering both Lonnie's and his own questions, the more other, more difficult questions popped up in his mind. Where were they? Where they still in Auradon? Had something gone wrong while teleporting them? Were the others okay? Had the others experienced similar problems? All these and many more buzzed through his thoughts like a group of angry mosquitos.

"Jay! Hello!? Anybody!?" Lonnie yelled, staring at her surroundings.

"Mal!" Ben joined in. "Archer! Anyone! Hey!"

For a few seconds, both him and Lonnie just listened, but they heard nothing apart from the wind blowing through the trees and the occasional tweeting bird.

"We're alone…" Lonnie mumbled, as if that fact totally astounded her.

Ben found it hard to dispute that fact and thus could not readily respond with a calming or reassuring comment.

"W-we must contact the others. Let them know we're okay… M-maybe they know what happened? Maybe they even know where we are?" Lonnie proposed.

"We can try." Ben replied. "Ehm, do you have your phone?"

"No, I-I didn't bring it." Lonnie answered, starting to blush.

"Damn, neither did I." Ben responded as he bit his lip.

"What are we gonna do?" Lonnie asked. "Should we stay here?"

"I'm not sure." Ben answered, feeling more stupid with every passing moment as he felt as though he was of absolutely no help in this situation. "We could try to find a village, or a house, or anything really. We could ask to use their phone…"

"We don't even know where we are." Lonnie replied in a sad tone. "The nearest village could be hours away, in whatever direction."

Ben again found it hard to dispute Lonnie's admittedly sound logic and again could not give a ready response.

"I think we should stay put, give the others the chance to locate us." Lonnie offered, sounding confident.

Ben nodded. "Sounds good. The first rule of survival, right?" He added with a bit of a smirk.

Lonnie just gave a small nod to signify that she'd heard him before taking a seat against the nearest tree.

"You're bleeding by the way." Ben said as he walked up to her.

Lonnie moved her hand up to her face and stroked the cut on her cheek. "Not that deep, don't worry."

"You should still clean it." Ben replied as he threw her a clean rag out of his pocket.

Lonnie took it and softly cleaned her wound, not talking and looking quite distraught in this period.

"What's up?" Ben asked as he sat down next to her.

"I'm worried about the others." Lonnie mumbled as she turned her head to look at Ben.

"Me too." Ben said in all earnest.

"That was one hell of a fight though." Lonnie commented, grinning briefly.

"That it certainly was." Ben replied, though he could not smile at the thought. He then took a second to examine his leg, where a fiery spell had burned through his trousers at his right knee, before thinking back on the previous hour.

In all earnest it had gone quite well, seeing as how they had managed to get everyone out as far as Ben knew. Only Mal, Archer and Lancelot had remained when he and Lonnie had left, with the rest having already been sent to the safety of Beast Castle, or so he hoped. Given their lack of preparation and their opponent's apparent determination to wipe them all out, it could be called a miracle that no one had gotten severely hurt, as far as he knew.

Now that he thought back on it, Ben had seen that Jordan had been unconscious when he and the others arrived and had not woken up when they left. He hoped she was alright, and that nothing too serious had happened to her.

His thoughts then quickly went to Mal, who he had last seen when he entered the portal. She had seemed so strong as she single-handedly kept the forces of the villains at bay with her magic. Ben unknowingly grew a smile as he thought back on her. For a period during the fighting, they had stood back to back as they took on their opponents. He and Mal always had great chemistry, and that apparently carried on into their fighting skills.

After a brief period of simply recounting how great he thought Mal was, he remembered the original reason he and the others had set out into the fray, to safe her. And why had she needed saving? Because she did not head his words. Because she had blatantly disregarded his orders. Because she had voluntarily and carelessly put herself into an easily avoidable situation of danger. But this time it hadn't been just herself, but a whole host of some of Ben's closest friends as well. Despite himself, Ben felt the anger boil up inside him.

He had hoped, in vain now apparently, that Mal dropped this somewhat stubborn habit of hers, something he was convinced was still a remnant of her isle manners. After that whole debacle when she had traveled back to the isle to save Freddie, they had promised each other that they would always stay together from then on. He had proposed to her… They were to get married now… But again, she had forsaken his warnings, acted on her own and thereby endangered people.

Ben loved Mal, of course he did. Even now, with everything going on, he would get heart palpitations just thinking of her. Her eyes… Her smile… Her hair… Her body against his… Her hands woven through his own… That trademark smirk of hers whenever he would make a cheesy comment… All of it still filled him with delight, and that part now worried him.

Ben realized that if it had been anybody else who had done this, they would face severe repercussions and he would be readily able to dish out those punishments. But since it was Mal, the person he loved most, Ben could not readily think of any way he could reprimand her according to the law without a horrible, hollow feeling appearing in his chest. Mal had already gone through so much growing up on the isle and had received so much hatred since coming to Auradon as well. Ben suspected that he could not live with himself if he had to cause her anymore pain.

The more he thought about it all, the more furious he became with himself, Mal and the villains they were currently fighting.

It was all so unfair. Had Mal realized that when she went out against his orders, that he would still feel so horribly about issuing a punishment against her? Had she actually planned on taking advantage of his kind-hearted nature against her, assuming she would walk freely no matter what actions she would undertake? Did Mal expect that their entire relationship would consist of her being able to do whatever she wanted because she was queen, and Ben not standing in the way of it all?

Ben liked to think that Mal would never be so egotistical, or evil for that matter. Maybe she had simply done what she did because she thought it was right? Maybe he himself had actually been blinded by his own vision and had refused to look at the matter from her point of view? Ben liked to think he knew Mal by now, which was still quite an achievement even after dating for as long as the two of them did. Behind the tough exterior, Ben knew she was full of kindness, compassion and the will to help people. These were the traits Ben admired so much and they were among the major reasons he trusted Mal to one day lead the kingdom alongside him.

The further combination of complicated emotions often apparent in Mal made this a far more difficult matter. Mal could still be very stubborn, especially regarding things she believed she knew a lot about. Ben always believed this was caused by her days of gang activity on the isle, where she'd had the freedom to not only make decisions on her own as the leader of her gang but was furthermore not inhibited by any laws or restrictions withholding her from performing violent or cruel acts.

This stubbornness, along with that inherent sense or need for freedom meant that Mal more than anything liked to go out alone. Now, because her heart was in the right place, this did mean she would want to do good, but, as the previous endeavor and her trip to the isle had shown, her actions often endangered others and often Mal herself as well. Now, Ben had to remind himself, he needed to give Mal a chance to explain herself and maybe show regret. If they could work something out, of course he would be willing to forgive her, but only after knowing how everyone would have turned up after the battle. If someone had been permanently injured or, god forbid, killed, then he didn't know if even his forgiveness was enough to save Mal. If everyone would have turned out alright however, Ben saw little reason why Mal still needed to be punished severely. After all, he was still very much against punishing people for what-ifs and could-have-beens.

Lost in his thoughts, he was then suddenly and roughly awoken when Lonnie hit his leg.

"Ow! W-what?" Ben exclaimed, looking at Lonnie.

"I heard something." She replied in almost a whisper. "It sounded like someone screaming."

Ben sat up straight and listened carefully. Initially, all he heard were the traditional sounds of the forest. Wind blowing through leaves, branches cracking and birds chirping.

All of the sudden, he heard it too, the unmistakable sound of what sounded like a woman or girl calling for help. Ben looked at Lonnie for a second and she looked equally surprised and intrigued as he did.

"Do we check it out?" Lonnie wondered out loud.

"It could be someone in need of help." Ben suggested, though he felt conflicted. If he had learned anything from past experiences, it's to never run blindly at something. "We need to check it out, but have your sword at the ready."

Lonnie nodded and unsheathed her sword before she and Ben walked towards the sound. Ben could not see anything yet, as they were completely surrounded by thick forest, but the sound of someone yelling became more clear.

Throwing caution into the wind, Ben sped up as he zig-zagged in between trees in the direction of the yelling. Lonnie trailed a little further back, but she too followed with a determined expression on her face.

Eventually, Ben reached a clearing and looked around, not seeing anything. He was about to ask Lonnie if she could still hear the yelling when a sudden shriek echoed through the woods again, this time from much closer.

"Anybody! Help!" A female voice screamed, only about a hundred yards from where Ben stood. He knew that voice though.

"Evie!?" Ben yelled once Lonnie caught up with him.

For a moment, there was silence. "Ben!?" Someone then yelled through the forest.

"Evie! We're here!" Ben yelled as he ran down the clearing, desperately looking around.

In front of him, two people emerged from the trees. Evie had one of Aden's arms slung around her shoulder, with the latter's face being scrunched up in pain.

"Ben!" Evie screamed as she tried to hurry in his and Lonnie's direction as fast as she could with Aden around her shoulders.

Ben and Lonnie similarly sprinted in their direction, not saying a word.

When they neared each other, Evie let go of Aden's arm, making him fall lightly to the ground, and hurried at the other two. Ben met her in a tight hug, before Evie began rambling.

"Oh my god! Ben! W-what happened? W-we went into t-that portal thing and we ended up here. What happened? What is this place? W-where are the others? Is Mal okay? Ben!" She stammered, shaking his shoulders.

"E-evie! Evie! Calm down! Calm down a little." Ben urged her as he took her arm's length. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, yeah… I-I'm fine… B-but Aden…" Evie began.

"Is in a tremendous amount of pain, yes." Aden added as he propped himself up onto his elbows.

"What's wrong?" Lonnie asked as she crouched down next to him.

"Fucking leg… Some spell or something… It's burned to a crisp." Aden grunted as he moved his right leg for Lonnie to see.

Ben leaned over as well and indeed saw a very clear scorch mark above Aden's knee where his trousers had been completely burned off and the skin underneath it was red and blistered.

"We need to clean it and bandage it up before it gets infected." Lonnie said as she began further tearing at Aden's trousers to expose the wound.

Aden threw his head back and bit his lip to refrain from screaming as more of his leg was exposed to open air. Ben had seen his fair share of wounds throughout his life and had sometimes been forced to treat them as well, yet it still made him uncomfortable whenever one of his friends was injured like this. The next minutes, him and Lonnie carefully bandaged up Aden's leg after sufficiently cleaning the wound. When that job was finished, they had to move onto more urgent measures.

"How did you get here, Evie?" Ben asked once the four of them sat down under a tree at the edge of the clearing.

"Ehm, we just stepped through that portal. I helped Aden and we ended up here. We saw no one so we decided to just start walking and then we ran into you." Evie explained.

"Neither of you happened to have brought their phones?" Ben asked in a hesitant tone.

Both Aden and Evie shook their heads. "Something's gone wrong, hasn't it?" The latter then asked.

"I believe so." Ben nodded. "Lonnie and I ended up here too straight out of that portal, in the middle of the forest."

"Do you have any idea where we are?" Aden asked from his position on the ground.

"A forest, more than that I can't tell you." Lonnie shrugged.

"I have some guesses, but I'm not a hundred percent sure." Ben said.

"Let's hear them anyway." Aden replied.

"Well…" Ben began. "It's not the Auradonian hills, the trees are different."

"I saw that too." Aden joined in. "It's not East or South Riding either, it's too dense here."

"Camelot maybe? The Enchanted Wood, or the Summerlands?" Ben offered.

"If it's Camelot we'd be lucky. Archer's parents would welcome us with open arms." Aden replied.

"Lonnie and I thought about staying put, give the others a chance to find us." Ben told the others.

"How do we know the same thing hasn't happened to them? For all we know they could all be lost as well, trying to get back, it was a complete shambles out there." Aden said.

Ben shrugged, not knowing a precise answer. "Would Lance be able to track us? Or any of the others?"

"Not sure. I'm not that big of a magic expert." Aden answered.

"What if they can't?" Evie asked. "What if we're stuck out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"We'll need to get to some populated area." Lonnie suggested. "I mean, wherever we are, it can't be more than a day's walk to civilization, right?"

"That depends." Ben replied. "If we are in the Enchanted Wood or the Summerlands, a walk in the wrong direction could mean we'd only be heading further into the wilderness."

"We should head south or west, no matter where we are those directions have the highest possibility of getting us somewhere." Aden proposed.

"We shouldn't move yet." Ben stated. "Rule one of survival is to stay put. We don't know for sure if the others know where we are or if Lance might be able to track us. If they realize we're missing, they will come look for us. We should give them the chance to find us before we head out and risk missing them."

The others nodded in agreement, though the announcement did nothing to brighten their moods.

"We'll sleep here for tonight and head south west tomorrow morning. Hopefully we'll find a road or a town quickly and we'll be able to contact the others." Ben said.

"You're the boss." Aden mumbled, sounding tired.

Evie said nothing as she simply turned on her side away from the others. Lonnie looked at Ben for a second before also laying down. Ben let his eyes wonder across the clearing one more time before laying down on his back and admiring the stars. Again, he found his mind wondering back to Mal.

How many times had the two of them not admired these stars together, holding hands in the moonlight. Again, these frankly happy thoughts were disturbed by feelings of anger and annoyance. He truly hoped that when we would be able to confront Mal again, that they could work things out.

* * *

"Ben, come on!" Someone spoke as he was being poked in the ribs. Ben instinctively curled up, but relaxed once he realized it was just Lonnie waking him up.

"Ehm, what time is it?" Ben asked as he rubbed his eyes and looked around.

"Seven Thirty. I figured we at least needed some sleep before setting off." Lonnie explained as she stretched her arms.

"So, they didn't come for us?" Ben questioned in a sad tone as he looked over at Evie and Aden, who were both gnawing on some of the only bread they had to their disposal.

"No." Lonnie replied, casting her eyes downwards. "They must not be able to track us, which means we'll have a nice stroll ahead of us."

"Splendid." Ben sarcastically exclaimed as he jumped up and did some stretching.

"We'll need to help Aden though." Lonnie continued as she looked back. "He can't walk on that leg and we hardly have the material to make him some proper crutches."

"Don't worry about me, guys." Aden announced from his position on the ground.

"Just shut it." Lonnie snarled. "Should we get going after you've had something to eat?" She then asked Ben.

"We can go now, I'm not that hungry." Ben answered as he walked towards Aden.

"You need to eat, Ben." Evie told him.

"I'm fine, let's just get going." Ben replied as he grabbed Aden's hand and pulled him upright.

Both Evie and Lonnie obviously wanted to comment on Ben's statement but refrained from doing so and instead began walking towards where the compass on Lonnie's watch claimed the south to be.

The walk was mainly quiet, apart from the occasional grunt, short question or indication whether or not they were still heading in the right direction. Ben soon found himself exhausted, as the walk stretched on for hours where he made painfully little ground with the wounded Aden hanging on his shoulder. The forest seemed endless, with the only variety being the occasional clearing, small pond or hill.

Evie and Lonnie, normally two of the most up-beat people Ben knew, seemed grumpy and unresponsive as their feet carried them further and further.

"We must be getting close to something, right?" Evie muttered as they walked past yet another clearing.

"Maybe, but then again we don't know how far inland we were to begin with. Who knows? We might not reach any form of civilization for another day or two." Lonnie responded.

"We'll have starved to death by then." Evie lamented.

"We can find food, there's berries and other fruit growing around." Lonnie suggested.

"What I need is a freaking hospital." Aden complained as he tried to keep up some sort of pace with his one functioning leg.

"Well, you may need to wait a little longer for that." Lonnie retorted, glaring at Aden.

"Jeez, it's not my fault we're here in the middle of nowhere." Aden commented on Lonnie's reaction.

"Well, if not for you and the others we would probably just have a relaxing day at Auradon prep, but instead we're walking a freaking marathon." Lonnie sneered.

"Why did you go with her?" Evie suddenly asked, making everyone stand still.

"Excuse me?" Aden replied.

"Why did you go with her? What did she say, or do, to get you and the others to come along?" Evie went on, her voice sounding cold.

"Nothing, we wanted to ourselves." Aden eventually answered after remaining silent for a few seconds.

Without a warning, Ben released Aden, who stumbled on his one good leg before staying up by leaning against a tree. "Ahh, what the hell man!?" Aden exclaimed.

"Why?" Ben asked. "Why did you want to join her?"

Aden looked at Ben a little cautiously but rebelliously. "Sorry Ben, b-but me and the guys don't agree with every decision you make."

Ben's head turned a little red. "That does not give you any right to go out on an illegal operation like this!"

"Jay offered it to us." Aden explained. "He said Mal wanted to follow that trail and, you know, we're loyal to her as well and we wanted to pursue the bad guys anyway…"

"Jay offered it to you!?" Lonnie asked sharply.

"Yeah, ehm, we discussed what had happened at the orphanage when we were all playing a little tourney. We all kind of hinted that we wanted to chase after the bad guys, and then, later, Jay messaged us to come meet him and Mal about it." Aden continued.

"After we talked about it." Evie mumbled. "Mal had just told Jay, Carlos and me what happened and she was not happy. Afterwards, she and Jay scurried off somewhere and didn't come back."

"That idiot." Lonnie muttered.

"Why did you disagree with my decision?" Ben asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

"It's not just you, it was Archer as well. The two of you were hell-bent on doing nothing and that didn't sit well with us." Aden answered truthfully.

"It was a trap! We warned you for that!" Ben shouted, his face turning more red.

"So, you could have helped us prepare. You saw what happened! They weren't fully dug in! We were almost able to slip away with just our group." Aden recounted.

"You almost died!" Ben spat. "They had you pinned when we arrived! I-if we had arrived only a minute later…" He went on before his voice got stuck in his throat. He didn't even want to think about what could have happened if he and his companions would have gotten there too late.

"Yes, and thanks for arriving when you did. But it would have been more useful to have had you there from the start." Aden responded.

"That's not how this works! That's not how any of this works!" Ben yelled. "I am not the one in the wrong here, you went behind my back."

"Because you wouldn't listen to us!" Aden retorted. "I heard from Mal what you and she had discussed. It sounded like you didn't even want to hear her opinion!"

"Because I know what her opinion on this matter is and it's a rash and incorrect one." Ben replied.

"We're all only human, Ben. Not everyone thinks alike." Aden offered.

"I listened to your arguments on the matter and I deemed them insufficient! I am not obligated to change my opinion every time someone disagrees with me, that would undermine my entire position!" Ben snapped.

"So, is that how you wanna rule your kingdom? By ignoring everyone's council?" Aden retorted.

"Of course not! You know damn well I listen to those around me! But sometimes you also need to see when you're in the wrong!" Ben argued.

"Again, how are you sure that you're not in the wrong here!?" Aden yelled.

"I was not the one who almost got people killed! I looked over the options and decided that attacking was not wise, and Archer agreed with me!"

"Archer doesn't know everything! He was just like you were with Mal, every time me or one of the others tried to talk to him about it he just blew us off."

"And he had every right to. I really value you guys as soldiers, but you forget your positions if you try to go behind my back like this."

"We have opinions too!" Aden spat.

"But you do not rule! Why make a bigger case out of this!?" Ben asked.

"Ruby!" Aden suddenly blurted out.

"What?" Ben questioned.

"Did you forget what happened to Ruby? She nearly lost her head in that attack on the school!" Aden shouted.

"I remember." Ben replied coolly.

"You can't imagine the anger me and Royce felt when we saw her like that! Or Alex with Herkie. Jay with you!" Aden continued as he pointed at Lonnie. "We wanted those monsters arrested!"

"I can imagine perfectly how you felt. Don't forget that Mal was their first victim." Ben replied calmly.

"So, why act so… so… so impassive about everything!?" Aden stammered. "You should want to handle those maniacs more than anyone else!"

That felt like a kick to the sore leg to Ben. Did Aden really think that Ben didn't want to handle the villain crisis? Did he actually believe that Ben was planning on just allowing the villains to stay in Auradon after what they did? Wait, did Mal have similar thoughts on this? Did she also think he wasn't taking enough action? Did she think he didn't care?

"I want them out. Of course I want them out! They attacked my kingdom! The mutilated the person I love more than anything else!" Ben shouted.

"Then why not act like it!?" Aden retorted.

"I do act like it! I lead the response team! I've sent out dozens of search parties into every part of Auradon! I haven't slept well in weeks because every waking moment I think about ways to stop the villains and save everyone I care about! And whenever I don't do that, I worry. I worry what will happen in the future. I worry who might get wounded or die. I worry about Mal, the kingdom, myself… I-I worry a lot and it's exhausting…" Ben ranted, breathing heavily, before eventually calming down.

Evie had long stood petrified with her hands in front of her mouth, alternating her stare between Ben and Aden. Lonnie looked equally perplexed, but did not dare intervene.

Aden simply stared at Ben, apparently momentarily stupefied. Ben thought he something of remorse appearing in his eyes.

"You didn't chase after the villains." Aden eventually said in a softer tone.

"Because we thought it was a trap, which it was. I want the villains arrested, but I don't want to risk countless lives to do so. The time will come again when we'll be able to strike back. Then you'll see me without restraints, then I'll bring them hell." Ben tried to reassure him.

Aden cast his eyes downwards, seemingly done talking, and Ben similarly didn't pursue the subject.

"Guys?" Lonnie eventually hesitantly asked. "C-can we move on? We'll need to get somewhere before dark."

"Yeah, yeah we're good." Ben replied, still looking at Aden, who also nodded.

An awkward moment followed as Ben once again had to support Aden before they set off again. The air around the group was tense and they remained completely quiet for a long time. When the sun again began to set and the sky turned orange, Evie suddenly spoke up.

"Guys? D-do you hear water?" She asked, urging the others to stand still.

The others stood still as well and listened. Ben indeed heard the sound of running water somewhere to his right.

"T-that's got to be a river." Aden exclaimed.

"Let's check it out." Ben said as he headed in the direction of the sound, the limping Aden still hanging onto his shoulder.

After barely five minutes, the group reached the source of the sound, which was indeed a large river heading to their left.

"This has to be the central river." Aden yelled over the sound of the water.

"That means Eden should be right on the other side, the river doesn't speed up like this until right before the waterfall." Ben replied.

"Do you think we should cross it?" Lonnie asked, hesitantly looking at the fast-moving water.

"Not here, definitely not here." Ben replied.

"If we move further back we might be able to find a shallower part for us to cross." Aden opted, to which the others nodded.

Ben felt his excitement rise as they finally set out on an actual plan. After an entire day of walking around aimlessly, eating the scarce berries Lonnie and Evie managed to pick from bushes and generally feeling down, he looked forward to getting back to the civilized world and finding out what had happened to his friends. What if everyone had been scattered throughout the kingdom? Ben tried to convince himself that everyone was alright and that they would be able to work everything out before having to deal with the next villain attack.

Crossing the river was less trouble than Ben had anticipated, with them finding a relatively calm spot where they were able to wade through the water with Lonnie helping Ben to get Aden across relatively dry.

Once on the other side of the river, they almost immediately found a road which they followed until they reached Eden, a village in the woods near Camelot which Ben had already visited previously a number of times.

When they entered the city limits, they were halted by two guards carrying spears.

"Halt! Who goes there?" One of them asked in a brusque tone, pointing his spear.

Lonnie momentarily took Aden over from Ben so that he could step forward.

"I am Benjamin Florian, king of Auradon." He stated loudly, almost enjoying the looks of surprise on the faces of the guards. "And I wish to make a phone call."


	28. Chapter 28: Deserted

**Rest in peace Cameron Boyce. It is such a tragedy that he had to go at such a young age. He had so much more to do and to give on this earth, but he has also already done so much and touched so many lives in his way too short life. I remember being in complete shock and disbelief when I found out, and I cannot even imagine how his friends and family must have felt. To lose someone who was undoubtedly so kind and talented at such a young age is heartbreaking. Cameron was an amazing actor and human being and it will feel weird seeing Descendants 3 knowing what happened. I'm still gonna watch it though, and keep Cameron's awesomeness in the back of my mind at all times. Thanks for everything Cameron, you were a real treasure.**

* * *

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 28: Deserted

CJ didn't know what was happening. It was as if she was falling through nothing. She hopelessly flailed her legs and one free arm in an attempt to somehow stop herself from falling. Around her, she only saw brightness with the occasional flash of color. Everything dazzled around her, making her lose track of space and time. CJ closer her eyes in an attempt to prevent herself from puking up whatever little she had in her stomach. She could not hear her own screaming over the roaring of the strange sort of tunnel she was falling through.

Within a minute, the brightness and roaring suddenly stopped as it felt as though she was flung out of an opening and roughly thrown onto something cold.

CJ opened her eyes immediately to look around. She was laying face-down in something white and cold and there was a sudden wind raging around her. Looking around, CJ saw more white everywhere around her, as well mountains, grey and massive, stretching as far as the eye could see.

What the hell was going on? What just happened? What was that thing she fell into? Where was she? Where were the others? What was this cold, white stuff?

Questions flew threw CJ's mind at an alarming rate as she got up to her knees. Her breath formed small clouds of smoke in the cold, windy air. When she looked behind her, she finally noticed she wasn't alone.

Archer, the sword guy, stood only a few feet behind her, a perplexed expression on his face as his cloak waved in the wind.

CJ immediately scrambled up to her feet and pointed her sword, looking around for any other possible enemies.

"What is going on!?" CJ yelled over the howling wind as she looked Archer in the eyes. "What was that thing? What is this place?"

"I-I…" Archer stuttered, looking around. "I don't know…"

"What do you mean, you don't know?" CJ snarled as she took one step towards him, keeping her sword raised.

"I don't know!" Archer replied, raising his own sword.

"Where are we!? Where did you bring me?" CJ grunted, taking another step.

Archer's head turned red in anger. "Bring you? You freaking jumped on my back! You're to blame if anything!" He spat as he looked around.

"Where are we!?" CJ repeated, not paying attention to his ramblings.

Archer looked at the mountains around them and bit his lip. "We have to be in the mountains…"

"No shit, I noticed that myself!" CJ sneered. "Why are we here? Why did you bring me here? What was that thing? Where are the others!?"

"Shut up!" Archer scoffed. "I-I don't know what this place is! I don't know why we're here!"

"You're the one who brought us here!" CJ retorted after taking a second to reflect on Archer's outburst. "You were the one who stepped into that, that thing!"

"The portal…" Archer mumbled.

"Did you separate me from the others!? Are you planning on killing me now that we're alone!?" CJ questioned, steadying her feet.

"What? No!" Archer responded indignantly.

"Then why are we here!?" CJ shouted.

"I have no clue! I don't even know where we are precisely! T-this wasn't supposed to happen!" Archer yelled back, as if he was trying to explain something that should have been plainly obvious.

"Bullshit! This has to be a trap! Well? Come on then, finish it!" CJ challenged.

"It's not, CJ… I-I have no idea what's happening…" Archer replied, lowering his sword a little and looking around a little panicky again.

CJ again felt a weird twitch in her stomach when he mentioned her name, just like before during the fight. Just the fact he said her name without any hateful intent was a nice change of pace from what she was used to on the isle and with the others on the mainland. CJ tried to calm her mind and first try to figure some things out before lashing out again.

"What was that thing?" She asked, a lot calmer than before. "That thing we fell into."

Archer looked at her for a second before answering. "A portal."

"A portal? W-what's that?" CJ questioned.

"A magical device… It's supposed to allow people to travel vast distances instantly." Archer explained.

CJ was initially perplexed, even though that was pretty much the answer she expected. So that thing had been magic, and it had transported her somewhere. Well, to this mountain…

"So, where did it take us!?" CJ asked more urgently.

"I have no idea!" Archer barked, clearly annoyed.

"How do you not know? It was your, ehm, thing!" CJ retorted.

"I didn't control it! And, and if anything, it's your fault! Why the hell did you follow me!?" Archer yelled.

"Why do you think?" CJ sarcastically exclaimed. "You're not escaping me again!"

"Well, you certainly screwed both of us over." Archer grunted, looking at the dark mountains.

"I didn't call up that portal thing!" CJ shouted.

"You jumped in with me! T-that probably screwed up the whole thing!" Archer retorted, taking a step in her direction.

"How exactly did I screw that thing up? Please tell me!" CJ sarcastically replied.

"I don't know, I'm not a magic expert. B-but, I think that it is somehow your fault we ended up here!" Archer spat back.

"Y-you didn't want to bring me here?" CJ questioned.

"Of course not! I wanted to get out of there, and nothing more!" Archer replied.

"S-so, you don't know where we are?" CJ asked, genuinely interested for the first time.

"That's what I've been yelling for the past five minutes!" Archer snarled. "We must have been sent somewhere else…"

"Then… What do we do?" CJ inquired, not sure if picking a fight would be the right option at the moment. CJ realized that she was all alone, even more so in the literal sense than she had been before. She had no idea where she was, or how to get back to her associates. All in all, she was screwed.

Archer seemed even more confused now that CJ was apparently willing not to attack him. This question did seemingly calm him a little, as if she had taken one of his worries away.

"Ehm, well… We're on a mountain…" Archer mumbled, staring at the ground around his feet.

"No shit." CJ sassily replied, poking at the layer of cold, white stuff that covered the ground with her sword.

Archer looked at her annoyed for a second before continuing. "Well, I'm not sure what happened to the others… They could be in trouble…"

"The others? You mean al your little friends? They fell through that portal thing too, right?" CJ asked, unable to keep a sense of glee out of her voice.

"Exactly." Archer replied in a darker tone. "Assuming they all made it out, they should be looking for me as we speak."

"W-well, my friends will be looking for me too!" CJ responded. "And you'll be in for it when they come for you."

"Assuming you haven't killed me already by then?" Archer smirked.

CJ blushed. "Well… Good point. I see no point in keeping you around." She followed up as she raised her sword again.

"Probably not a good plan." Archer replied, raising his eyebrows.

"Why not? You think I can't beat you?" CJ teased.

"Oh, I know you can't beat me. But we both have more pressing matters." Archer answered.

CJ scoffed at his comment. "More pressing matters, like what?"

"Like the fact that we're stranded on a freaking mountain! Now, I've never been here before and I know for a fact that you've never even seen a mountain up-close. I don't know if you know this, but climbing a mountain without sufficient support is a really stupid thing to do." Archer ranted.

"Get to the point already." CJ sneered, though she did lower her sword again.

"Like it or not, but we may need each other if we want to get off this mountain alive." Archer replied, though he seemed far from happy saying it.

"You've gotta be kidding. You want us to work together?" CJ asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Well… Yes…" Archer replied slowly, clearly not happy with this turn of events either.

"Oh, so you want us to just forget everything that happened, get all friendly with each other and have a fun little trip?" CJ sarcastically sneered, her eyes twinkling.

Archer started blushing and rolled his eyes. "Of course not. Just, ehm, let's get down the mountain and see from there."

"Right, right. And you'll totally not try to kill me as we go down? Or when we get down? You're full of shit!" CJ spat.

"Goddammit, will you listen!? We are stuck here! Freaking stuck! If the others won't find us we'll most likely starve if we stay here, so we need to get back to civilization somehow! Now, I'm not sure which mountain this is, but you can be damn sure it won't be a cakewalk to get down! You absolutely cannot be stupid enough to think you can survive climbing down this mountain on your own, or can you?" Archer raged.

CJ just stared at Archer for a second, her eyes wide. Even as he was screaming and had a very noticeable vein over his right eye, she couldn't help but notice he was still extremely handsome, something that annoyed her endlessly.

Something that annoyed her even more was that he appeared to have a point. True, CJ had absolutely no idea where she was or how she could get back to her associates. Only now that she had gotten over the initial shock of getting teleported to an unknown location did she realize how cold it actually was. In the back of her mind, she also realized she had not brought any food. She had totally been bluffing when she told Archer the others would look for her. She knew damn well no one from the villain party would care in the slightest if she went missing or not. All of these realizations helped her determine that she needed some sort of help if she wanted to survive and, sadly, there was no one else around. She would need his help if she wanted to make it out alive.

"Are you listening to me?" Archer pressed on, awakening CJ from her thoughts. "I am offering you my help… For now… B-but only if we set up some rules or something…"

"Relax hotshot, I'm not an idiot." CJ sighed. "Okay, I know I won't be able to make it out of here alone, I know that. So… If you say you want to team up for now… Until we escape this…" CJ looked around. "This place…"

"You'll accept it?" Archer questioned hesitantly.

"Look, it's either you or dying. Both not great prospects but dying sounds a little worse." CJ replied crossing her arms.

Archer rolled his eyes. "So, you agree that we'll help each other until we reach the bottom? That means no trying to hurt or kill each other and, you know, actually help each other as well…"

"Fine…" CJ groaned, throwing her head back as a sign of exaggerated agony.

"Good…" Archer sighed, looking at his feet. "Good…"

CJ similarly felt sort of awkward. She and the sword guy had literally met two times and had tried to kill each other in all earnest on both occasions. To suddenly be thrown into a situation where they not only had to work together but sort of depended on one another to make it out alive was a strange sensation to say the least.

"So…" CJ began. "You got a plan then?"

"Follow this path down I guess." Archer answered, pointing at a relatively even ridge to CJ's left, which led down towards other dark mountains. "It will get dark soon, so we'll need some shelter."

"Shelter? Here in the freaking mountains?" CJ questioned.

"A cave maybe? Or anything would technically be better than staying out and get buried under a foot of snow." Archer replied.

"S-snow?" CJ exclaimed. She had heard that word before but didn't know what it meant.

"Snow." Archer repeated as he gestured around himself at the white stuff on the ground.

"That's snow?" CJ asked.

"Y-you've never seen snow?" Archer replied, totally perplexed.

"N-no…" CJ answered as she bent down and took some of the white stuff in her hand and watched it melt right away.

"You, ehm, you don't have snow on the isle? I mean, it literally falls from the sky…" Archer hesitantly continued as he slowly approached her.

"Like, when it gets colder, right?" CJ asked, picking up more snow. "It piles up on top of the barrier but just turns into rain when it comes down."

"You've never seen snow?" Archer asked again, looking at her with something resembling compassion.

"No, but it's not like that's such a big deal!" CJ snapped as she threw the snow back down. "Now, you were the one who wanted to work together so badly, so, ehm, get on with it then!"

Archer's look soured as he sheathed his sword onto his back again and started walking. CJ looked around hesitantly one more time, hoping in vain that someone might show up out of nowhere and help her. This naturally didn't happen, so she set off after her hesitant ally, noticing that the snow made a fun, crunching sound when she stepped on it.

* * *

"I spy with my little eye… something white." CJ said as she stepped on, lazily swinging her sword around.

"It's snow again, isn't it?" Archer answered in an annoyed tone.

"You truly are a genius; how come you don't show it more often?" CJ teased.

Archer rolled his eyes as he stared back at her before focusing on the path ahead again. The two of them had been walking for what had to be almost two hours and the sun was now definitely setting, making the dark mountains seem all the darker. CJ really did feel cold, but didn't want to show it so she tried to keep herself warm by moving around as much as possible. Also, she was bored, so pestering Archer with these annoying little games was a fun outlet for the time being.

"I spy with my little eye… something red." CJ spoke, adding a little hop to her step.

This made Archer look up and back at her. "Ehm, your coat?" He offered, looking at her as he walked backwards.

"No." CJ happily replied.

"Then I don't know." Archer said, almost seeming genuinely interested.

"It's your face." CJ teased, pointing her finger. "Your face whenever I catch you looking at me."

CJ watched in glee as said red color indeed appeared on Archer's cheeks as he rolled his eyes before turning around again.

"You're a fun travelling companion, I have to say." CJ went on, trying to shield her body somewhat with her jacket as another cold blast of wind blew past.

"I'm honored." Archer grumpily replied.

"You should be, we don't complement each other much on the isle." CJ smirked.

"Well, your friends are pretty good at it." Archer comments, not looking back.

"Friends?" CJ asked, caught a little of guard.

"Mal, Evie, Carlos, Jay, Freddie… They're all nice people. Them at least." Archer sassily replied.

"Please." CJ scoffed. "They're not my friends. They may be from the isle, but they're nothing like me."

"No shit, they're not the ones invading my country." Archer sneered.

CJ rolled her eyes. "You're not letting go of that one, are you? And here I thought we were getting close."

"L-let go of it!? You have started a war! You hurt people I care about! And you stabbed me in the leg!" Archer ranted.

"W-well, you threw me off a roof! I'd say we're about even." CJ retorted.

"You kidnapped Mal! You beat her half to death! You burned down an orphanage and raided multiple villages! Do you not feel any shame?" Archer went on.

CJ looked down, momentarily blushing. "I-I had nothing to do with that Mal business. I'm not really involved in any decision making anyway."

"T-then what do you do?" Archer asked.

"Reconnaissance mostly. They don't trust me enough to do any 'meaningful' work." CJ answered with air quotations.

"They don't trust you?" Archer questioned, slowing down a little so that she could catch up with him.

"Why am I telling you all this?" CJ went on, raising her eyebrows. "You are the enemy."

"Hesitant ally at the moment." Archer shrugged.

"Yay." CJ sarcastically replied as yet another gust of wind made her shiver.

"You cold?" Archer asked, seeming genuine.

"Well, when I dressed I didn't really take it into account I might get transported to a freaking mountain." CJ answered as she crossed her arms.

"Well, try to not die of frostbite or something." Archer sneered. "It'd be a heap of trouble to drag your body down."

"That would actually be perfect, you know. Even in death I'll be bothering ya." CJ grinned.

"Jesus… Do you actually breathe? Or do you just survive on annoying people?" Archer groaned, though CJ could see a vague smile in the corner of his mouth.

"You're a lot more worked up than usual." CJ replied, not paying his insult any mind. "What's going on, buddy?"

"Well, 'buddy', I am stuck on a deserted mountain with an insufferable brat and I have no idea if any of my friends have made it out safely. To say I'm worked up is an understatement." Archer replied.

"Thanks for the complement." CJ grumpily retorted. "Would you count Mal as your friend?"

"I'd like to think we're friends, yes." Archer answered.

CJ scoffed and rolled her eyes, which didn't go unnoticed by Archer.

"You two don't like each other, she and Freddie told me as much." He then said.

"Oh, so you know Freddie as well?" CJ reacted, though not awfully cheerful.

"Yeah, she was your friend though, wasn't she?" Archer went on.

CJ shrugged. "I mean, as much as you could count someone as a friend on the isle. It's more like…"

"Gang activity?" Archer finished her sentence, making CJ look at him astonished. "You all use the same description." Archer grinned as he squinted against yet another large gust of wind.

"That's just peachy." CJ replied as she shivered in the cold wind.

"You sure you aren't cold?" Archer asked.

"I'm fine." CJ growled, tucking her hands under her arm pits.

"You've been constantly shivering for twenty minutes now." Archer pressed on.

"I said I'm fine!" CJ retorted as speeded up a little and walked past Archer.

CJ did not look back until she suddenly felt something being draped across her shoulders. She flinched and ducked away before she looked back and saw Archer with his cloak in his outstretched hands.

"What the hell!?" CJ exclaimed.

"Take it." Archer said, gesturing with his cloak. "I'm warm enough and you need to, ehm, not freeze…"

"I told you I'm fine!" CJ snapped.

"And I choose to not listen to your lies." Archer replied as he threw his cloak at her. "Now put that around your shoulders and don't die!" He continued before walking past her, not giving CJ the opportunity to decline.

CJ rolled her eyes as she draped the cloak across her shoulders, annoyingly realizing it indeed made her feel warmer, before heading off after Archer again. The following twenty minutes were spent in silence as the two tracked through more steep mountain terrain, the amount of falling snow increasing. It eventually got so bad that the two of them took cover in the first sufficient cave they could find, where they gratefully hid from the ever-growing storm.

"God, that was unpleasant." Archer sighed as he wiped the snow off his arms.

"Do you actually like that stuff here?" CJ asked as she took off Archer's cloak and waved it around to remove the snow.

"Yeah, but in small doses mostly, not like this." Archer replied with a nod to outside.

"So, do we just stay here until it stops?" CJ proposed.

"I was thinking we spend the night here. It's out of the snow and wind and should keep us protected from the elements. It's night time anyway so we should eat, sleep and head out tomorrow morning." Archer explained.

"Eat? Did you pack us lunch?" CJ asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I always carry snacks." Archer replied as he reached into his back pocket and took out what looked like candy bars.

"Jeez, you couldn't have mentioned that earlier?" CJ commented as she immediately snatched one out of his hand.

"Let's get a fire going first, with some luck I'll find some flint or something." Archer mumbled as he looked around the cave.

"Here." CJ told him as she reached into the pouch around her waist and threw her stolen lighter at him.

"You carry a lighter?" Archer asked slightly perplexed.

"It's a souvenir." She answered as she tore the wrapper off her candy bar. She then sat down against the wall of the cave and studied the snack whilst Archer searched for anything flammable he could use for the fire. "You didn't poison this, did you?" CJ then asked suspiciously.

"Not that one. You just happened to pick the one not-poisoned candy bar." Archer sarcastically answered.

CJ stuck her tongue out at him before taking a hesitant bite. "Damn, you might as well have poisoned it, this shit's nasty."

"It's healthy and nutritious." Archer commented as he tried to light his collection of dead branches and leaves.

"You just became a lot more boring." CJ responded before taking another bite.

Archer eventually did get the fire going and sat down on the opposite end of the cave before grabbing his own snack. CJ enjoyed the warmth spread by the fire, a welcome change from the blasting cold outside. Archer threw her a couple more candy bars, which CJ eagerly ate despite their honestly horrendous taste.

"Seriously, you have everything here in Auradon and you choose to eat this garbage?" CJ exclaimed as she finished her last snack.

"It's healthy, what do you want me to say?" Archer retorted.

"On the isle, you eat what you can find, whether it's healthy or not." CJ commented.

"Oh, I've heard plenty of stories." Archer softly replied.

"From Mal? Please, she doesn't know anything of how insufferable the isle could really be." CJ grunted.

"What do you mean? You were all in the same boat, right? So to speak." Archer hesitantly asked.

CJ shook her head. "Far from it. Mal, well, she was pretty much queen of her part of the isle. Her and her gang."

"You were part of another gang? Like, a rival?" Archer offered.

"Worse, I wasn't part of anything. There were four main gangs on the isle and I've had beef with all of them throughout my life." CJ explained.

"Ah, like that…" Archer mumbled. "Four? W-who were the others besides Mal? I don't think I've met any others who've come to Auradon."

"That's because the others are the worst of the worst. There's my sister Harriet…" CJ began.

"Your sister is a gang leader?" Archer immediately exclaimed.

"Yes, but it's not nearly as fun as you probably think. We've never liked each other, and especially lately she's been out for my blood." CJ muttered.

"Your own sister?" Archer said somewhat disbelievingly.

"Yep, things are pretty tough." CJ replied, enjoying the look of distress on Archer's face. "What? You're probably not entirely used to the whole siblings killing each other thing in Auradon, are ya?"

Archer shook his head, not breaking eye contact with her. Partially to escape the awkward silence, CJ continued talking. "The others were Mal, Uma and Solomon. All of whom want me dead."

"Uma? Solomon? T-they… B-but you're here with them?" Archer exclaimed, visibly confused.

"Yep, but not out of free will." CJ remarked. "I mean, it was either join them in their fruitless dream of destroying Auradon or stay behind and become cannon food for my bitch of a sister, both not my favorite prospects."

"Y-you don't want to invade Auradon?" Archer asked, perplexed.

"Well…" CJ began. "I do hate you, god knows I do… But… Well… No. I never really felt the need to invade Auradon. Jeez, when that freak announced he had the freaking cauldron and gathered his army I didn't sign up. It was only because of Freddie he eventually got me involved."

"Freddie? What does she have to do with any of this?" Archer pressed on, moving a little closer to where CJ sat.

"Wait. Again, why am I telling you this?" CJ exclaimed, looking at Archer incredulously. "You are the enemy."

"I was just getting interested." Archer replied, sitting back down.

"Well, amuse yourself from now on." CJ told him as she turned away.

"Come on… A-alright, what if I don't mention the isle again? I mean, what else are we supposed to do but talk?" Archer said.

"Suffer in silence." CJ replied.

"Well, I'm gonna keep talking." Archer stubbornly went on. "So… ehm… Your name is CJ?"

"Wow, real conversation starter." CJ mumbled, not looking up.

"Well, ehm, w-what does it stand for? I mean, you can't literally be called CJ, right? Those are letters, not a name."

"That is not something I ever intend for you to find out." CJ replied with an exasperated sigh.

"Okay, I'll just guess then." Archer shrugged. "So, I'll just say they're initials. What does the 'C' stand for, hmm? Is it Carmen?"

"What? No!" CJ answered a little surprised and simultaneously grateful her parents hadn't named her Carmen.

"Claire?" Archer guessed.

CJ just shook her head in response, still not looking in Archer's direction.

"Chloe? Celeste? Charlotte? Caroline?" He went on.

"Jesus, no!" CJ eventually fell out at him. "Okay, I guarantee you'll never guess my first name."

"So, they are your initials!" Archer pointed out. "Very well, the 'J' then. Is it… Jessica?"

"Nope." CJ answered, a smile growing on her face.

"Jennifer?" Archer guessed, throwing another loose twig into the fire.

"Nah." CJ smirked, joining Archer in throwing things into the fire.

"Julia? Jessie? Josephine?" Archer continued, grinning as CJ's smile grew with every wrong guess.

"You're a terrible name-guesser." CJ teased, finally looking back at him.

"One of my few non-talents." Archer boasted.

"Add humility to that list." CJ commented.

"Says you? Okay, let's continue with that name of yours." Archer said, rubbing his hands.

"Can we literally talk about anything else!?" CJ groaned. "You're insufferable."

"Oh, so now she does want to talk?" Archer grinned.

"Just… Ask what you wanna ask, I guess… I'll see if I want to answer." CJ replied.

"Fine. So… Ehm… You said you only got involved because of Freddie, how come?" Archer asked.

"Really not letting that go, hm?" CJ responded. "Fine. Solomon needed more magic for his freaking kettle and planned on taking it from either Mal or Freddie. At least, that's what I found out. At first, he only told me he wanted Freddie and many others to join him. Since Freddie hates his guts though, he thought that he might have been able to reach her through me, so he gave me a nice ultimatum; join him or die."

Archer's eyes widened, not making a sound a he listened to CJ telling her story.

CJ, on the other hand, started enjoying her rant more and more. "So, when Freddie got sent to the isle, I-I saw my chance, so to speak. Because, you know, I thought that asshole Solomon would leave us alone if Freddie just refused. But of course he had to be, well, be Solomon and ruin it for everyone. That's when Freddie got kidnapped and they wanted to trade her for Mal, etcetera… Again, when Mal arrived, Solomon was like 'join me or die', so I stood on watch and that's where we met actually." She concluded.

Archer swallowed heavily. "It, ehm, it really sounds like you never wanted any of this…"

"Damn right." CJ replied as she leaned back. "I just got dragged in."

"So, ehm, do you actually want to get back to the others? The other villains, I mean." Archer asked.

This made CJ think. What did she want actually? She hadn't really thought out what she planned on doing once she reached the bottom of the mountain. Archer could naturally easily return to his friends, but she? She would be god knows where and would most likely have to walk a shit ton if she wanted to get back to the hideout. But did she want to go back?

Of course, she hated everyone there with a passion, a feeling that was most likely reciprocated. If given the chance, she would definitely want to escape that hell hole. Then there was the isle, currently under the rule of Harriet, who still took her number one spot when regarding the people she hated the most, a list which seemingly kept growing. If given the chance, she would gladly never set foot on that dreaded isle again, as long as her bitch of a sister still ruled there. Then there was Auradon, a place she never really considered. This was mostly due to the fact that she was part of an invading villain party, tasked with destroying Auradon. The people here would want her dead or sent back to the isle at least. There was no way she could stay.

"I'm not sure where I want to go." CJ mumbled. "I don't really belong anywhere at the moment."

"I mean, ehm, the others must be out looking for you, right?" Archer offered.

CJ shrugged. "Probably not. All Solomon cares about is taking over this worthless country, all Uma cares about is revenge on Mal. I don't particularly fit into that plan."

"What is their plan exactly?" Archer went on.

CJ looked at him, at his ridiculously blue eyes, and suddenly got angry. "Is that all you want to know? What Solomon and his goons are planning?"

"W-what? Ehm, no… N-no, I…" Archer stuttered.

"Forget it." CJ grunted as she turned away and laid down on her side. "I should have known."

"Come on…" Archer began.

"Leave it. That 'nice guy' act you're trying pull was pretty convincing. Now leave me be, I would have expected you of all people would suggest me to get a good night's sleep."

"Well… Yeah…" Archer mumbled.

"Then good fucking night!" CJ sneered.

Archer didn't answer, and CJ heard him lay down himself after a couple of minutes. No more words were shared as CJ closed her eyes but stayed wide awake, listening carefully.

The fire slowly died down, leaving the cave totally dark safe for a few smoldering embers. The snow was still raging outside, but only a few loose flakes whirled in. Without the fire, the temperature quickly dropped to the point CJ once again had to tightly wrap Archer's cloak around herself in order to stay warm.

After a while, a loud snoring erupted from behind her, which was the clue CJ had been waiting for.

She slowly stood up, careful not to make any sound, and moved over to where Archer was sleeping. He was laying close to where the fire had been burning, probably hoping to take in a little of the leftover heat. He had his mouth wide open and CJ even wondered how he didn't wake himself up with his snoring.

She slowly took out the dagger she kept hidden in her boots and crouched down. She figured to herself that she couldn't take any chances. If she would let Archer escort her to the bottom of the mountain, he would most likely have her taken to prison, or worse. CJ feared a lot of things, but Mal's smug face as she would undoubtedly decide her punishment was one particularly unpleasant thought. She needed to get out.

One ember suddenly glowed a little as some wind blew into the cave, momentarily illuminating the both of them. Archer tossed in his sleep a little as CJ brought her dagger to his throat. All of the sudden, her hand started shaking.

"Come on!" CJ thought to herself. "Just do it! Get it over with!"

She couldn't do it though. Her hand kept on hovering in the same place, not taking any action. CJ didn't know how long she stayed there in that position, but eventually she crawled back to her own side of the cave and laid back down. Whatever plans she had, they could wait, for now.


	29. Chapter 29: Aftermath

**Sorry for the long hiatus in my ulpoading, but I've only just returned from holiday.**

 **Anyway, a big thank you as always to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 29: Aftermath

"What the hell!? Where did they go!?" Harry shouted as he ran towards the place their enemies had been huddled together not five seconds ago. "Where did they go!?"

"They were right there! Right there!" Zevon jumped in, aggressively pointing.

"They must be somewhere, somewhere around here!" Clay exclaimed feverishly looking around.

"They teleported you idiots!" Solomon sneered, furiously kicking at the loose rocks on the riverbed.

"T-teleported? Where?" Anthony asked.

"How the hell should I know!? I can't track them!" Solomon thundered.

"Didn't know that." Anthony mumbled in reply.

"So, we can't catch them anymore?" Gil asked, sounding disappointed.

"They could be anywhere by now! You've all screwed up!" Solomon spat.

"Us? You were as much a part of this operation, Horns!" Clay retorted, for once using Uma's favorite nickname.

"Yeah, why couldn't you just break through that barrier Mal, ehm, kept up? You're the one who claims to be the most powerful magic user of, well, all time, right?" Anthony followed up.

"With more time I could have!" Solomon raged. "It would have been nice if at least one of you would have been of at least some help! Now Mal and the others escaped us again and we haven't even killed any of them yet!"

"I wouldn't know about that. There was one girl who looked pretty screwed up." Harry said, sheathing his sword again.

"Thanks to me, yes! But she didn't die, yet." Solomon murmured.

"Who were those other people!?" Clay asked. "You said they were only with eight!" He went on, pointing a finger at Zevon and Maddy.

"And they were! I-in the beginning…" Zevon stuttered.

"Beastie boy was with the others." Harry said. "And Evie, Carlos a-and some others."

"Was it a trap?" Anthony asked. "Did they set a trap for our trap?"

"No." Solomon grunted. "This was a rescue mission and they succeeded. Now they've escaped and we have nothing!"

"Fuckers…" Harry muttered.

"We scared them at least." Zevon offered. "They know we mean business and that we can hurt them. I mean, we nearly captured Mal."

"But didn't succeed!" Solomon thundered. "We might as well not have done anything!"

"Look, we hurt them and scared them. That's what we did, that's what happened, done! What now?" Clay complained.

"Are you not even remotely annoyed by this turn of events!?" Solomon asked as he went up to Clay.

"Not as much as you obviously, but then again I'm not the power-hungry maniac." Clay spat.

"Is anyone injured?" Maddy asked, obviously trying to break the tension.

Only one of Harriet's pirates, who was sitting on the ground with a bloody leg, raised a hand. The others obviously had injuries too, but nothing as bad as to make a fuss about it.

Uma herself only had a few tears here and there in her clothing as well as quite a bruise on the side of her head. She barely felt the pain though at the moment as the adrenaline of the fight still coursed through her veins. This adrenaline was part exhilaration and part anger.

The exhilaration came from the action. After a for her ridiculously long time of being cooked up in some tower, safe for the occasional raid or scouting mission, this was the first real confrontation she'd had since they had lured Mal to the isle. She felt even better knowing that she had bested Mal in combat using her magical powers on the water. On the isle she and Mal had squared off numerous times, with each of them coming out victoriously every once in a while. The general consensus held on the isle however was that Mal was a superior sword fighter to her, despite Uma's frequent claims of the opposite.

The anger came from the fact that, even though she and her compatriots had clearly been on the winning hand, Mal had once again slipped through her fingers. Uma already had once managed to kidnap Ben, but through a dirty trick Mal had managed to outsmart her. After that, she and Harry had managed to lure Mal to the isle with Freddie and had beaten her to a pulp, only for more of her friends to come and rescue her. Uma couldn't understand how one person could be that lucky!

Mal had basically been born into royalty on the isle, never having to work for her reputation on the isle, which was passed onto her from her mother. After that, she had also been one of the first kids from the isle to be allowed into Auradon. But did that faze her? No!

Leave it to bloody perfect Mal to not adapt to life on the mainland, but also end up in a relationship with the most powerful person in the world, pretty much ensuring that she'd once again not have to do anything to survive and thrive. No bickering for scraps, like Uma. No going to bed on a hungry stomach, like Uma. No fears of someday losing everything you own to one of your fierce rivals, like Uma.

Uma was sick of it. It was high time someone pulled that silver spoon out of little miss perfect's mouth and kept it away from her. Uma was glad that that someone appeared to be her. She had already sworn to herself that she would see Mal on her knees before the end of this war, begging and pleading for mercy which Uma would undoubtedly delightfully deny her.

First, however, she and her compatriots would have to bounce back from this recent debacle and plan ahead for the next phase of their takeover.

"So, then what do we do now?" Maddy asked.

"We leave." Uma spoke up for the first time after their enemies vanished. "We can't risk getting caught out here, we should retreat to the hideout."

"Uma's right." Harry quickly added. "Those bastards could send, like, armies or something here."

Solomon didn't reply, instead just looking at the place where their opponents had just disappeared in fury.

"Everyone partner up and teleport back." Uma said as she approached Solomon. "Ready?"

Solomon just snarled as he stood back upright.

"Hang on to your hat." Uma sighed before throwing down the vanishing potion and immediately feeling the by now familiar sensation of being teleported.

Within a few seconds, she stood in the shadow of the tower which served as their hideout, looking at its silhouette in the bright light of the setting sun.

Solomon didn't talk to her, instead immediately marching towards the tower and slamming the door roughly as the others appeared out of thin air one by one with a small popping sound.

Uma approached Harry and Gil, who both sat down against the small hill once they appeared and took a second to examine their injuries.

"You okay?" Uma asked, looking at a cut in Harry's jacket on his shoulder.

"Fine, safe for the splitting headache." Harry muttered.

"You should lie back down before you get a concussion or something." Uma suggested, feeling somewhat worried about her first mate.

"It's not that bad, and I do wanna hear what our glorious leader has to say." Harry replied with some sarcasm.

"I don't think he's in a talkative mood." Uma said, looking back at the tower were most of their companions had already retreated to.

"He looked pretty mad after the battle." Gil joined in.

"No shit." Harry spat.

"That plan turned into complete shit! We'll probably not get a chance like this again." Uma grunted as she sat down.

"He'll go mad, watch my words." Harry said leaning back.

"I'll go see if the others are, ehm, planning anything." Gil replied before standing up and walking towards the tower.

"This was our chance and we blew it!" Uma complained once she and Harry were alone. "Right now! We could have had Mal captive right now!"

"Those stupid fuckers… I almost had Jay! I almost had him!" Harry muttered.

"And I almost had Mal!" Uma grunted, picking at the grass underneath her. "She won't be lucky forever. One of these days her little friends won't be there, and I'll have her at my mercy."

"How did those other people just appear out of thin air? How did they get to us so quickly?" Harry asked, looking at Uma.

"Not a clue." Uma answered. "But they screwed up everything! We had the others pinned down, it would have been over in a flash if not for the fucking reinforcements."

"That cursed king! I still have a bone to pick with that asshole." Harry cursed.

"They surprised us, wretched Auradonians. They will see this as a victory." Uma muttered.

"Even if we wounded and possibly killed some of them?" Harry questioned.

"They stopped us from reaching our goal. We lost as far as we are concerned, which means they won." Uma complained.

"Well, still not entirely." Harry offered. "It's like the others said. We drove them up the wall, gave 'em quite a scare."

"We did at least show some strength, forced them to flee." Uma shrugged.

"And Mal looked deliciously panicked." Harry remembered fondly.

"I did give her quite the thrashing." Uma replied in a similarly satisfied tone.

"I saw that. I didn't know you could do all those things with the water." Harry said in an admiring tone.

"I've been practicing." Uma boasted.

"Marvelous." Harry whispered as he leaned towards her.

"Yo! Lovebirds!" Someone yelled from behind them.

Uma broke eye contact with Harry to see Zevon beckoning the two of them from the door opening. "What!?" She asked in an annoyed tone.

"Group meeting." Zevon answered simply before turning back.

Uma and Harry looked at each other, shrugged and stood back up before heading into the tower to see what all the fuss was about.

Inside, everyone was gathered around the table, wounds of battle still apparent on many faces or body parts and a somewhat cranky atmosphere surrounding them. Solomon stood in the middle of the group, his black eyes seemingly caught in a dark gleam making them look even more sinister. All in all, he had the appearance of someone balancing on the verge of madness.

"Good, you're finally here." He said in his raspy voice.

"It's not like we had to postpone our meeting." Uma responded as she sat down opposite of Solomon. "I trust you're gonna tell us what the next plan is?"

"Since the last one didn't go so well." Harry followed up, leaning against Uma's chair.

Solomon furrowed his brow and bit his lip in anger but did not respond to Harry's taunt, instead raising his voice to address everyone. "Our trap did not go as planned, so we'll need to make some adjustments."

"Surprise, surprise…" Clay muttered, causing Maddy and Zevon to stare at him angrily.

Solomon sighs before continuing. "I believe the Auradonians will not let this slip, which means they might put more effort into locating us. One the one hand, this means they might find us, on the other it still serves our goal of removing as many troops as possible from the shore."

"It won't matter if this, ehm, serves our later goals if we get caught. We should move faster." Anthony urged.

"For once, I agree." Solomon responded.

"So, you'll want to attack sooner than planned?" Uma asked.

"Yes. We have the sufficient strength once we activate the cauldron. This does mean we somehow have to get a message across to Harriet." Solomon explained.

"Can we teleport onto the isle? Give her the message then?" Uma asked.

"Not with the potions." Zevon said. "The bloody barrier doesn't allow for it."

"What about that thing Mal did? The way she got Freddie onto the isle?" Uma continued, mainly focusing on Solomon.

"Unbreakable teleportation… No, I can't do that." Solomon answered.

"Why not? Are you not the most powerful magic user of all time?" Uma snickered.

Solomon turned red in anger. "Magic takes time and practice and we don't have any right now! Also, why waste energy when there's a much simpler solution?"

"Please tell, what is this simple solution?" Harry asked.

"We simply send someone over on a boat with the message, they will then tell Harriet and simply return once we bring down the barrier and let the others out." Solomon explained.

"Wow, ya couldn't have said that before?" Harry questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Solomon rolled his eyes. "It's simple really. We just agree on a time or a signal, after which I bring down the barrier and the rest will make the cross."

"Won't the waters still be infested with Auradonians?" Clay asked.

"Not enough to be of any nuisance to us. Furthermore, I like to think that our troops could use a little warm-up before landing on shore, some spare Auradonian ships might prove to be some good practice." Solomon went on.

"Alright, fine then. Who will go?" Uma asked.

"I can't go, since I have to be here to activate the cauldron. I'm guessing you don't want to go either?" Solomon responded.

"I'm staying here, Horns." Uma stated.

"As I guessed." Solomon replied in an annoyed tone. "Since Harriet will lead the invasion from sea, I suggest one of her lackeys make the cross." He continued with a look at Anthony, Clay and the two pirates.

"First of all…" Anthony began. "Lackeys is an unkind description of us. Second, my guess is that Harriet would have wanted us all to remain here."

"Well, someone has to go." Solomon sighed, looking back at Uma.

"Harry and Gil are staying with me, just so you know! You have lackeys of your own by the way!" Uma hissed.

"Zevon and Maddy are essential with their magical abilities, we can't miss them." Solomon explained.

"Lovely stalemate we have here." Harry muttered. "It was your plan to send people back." He went on against Solomon.

"Which will still happen, but we have to make a choice." Solomon grunted.

"Why not send CJ? I'm sure Harriet would love to see her little sister again." Clay grinned.

"Yes! Just send her!" Uma immediately jumped on the idea.

"I see no problem with that." Solomon nodded. "Where is she? I've not heard any of her shrill complaining yet."

Everyone looked around, mostly at the roof beams where CJ would normally sit during these meetings.

"She's not here." Anthony said.

"Check the roof, maybe she's hold up there." Solomon ordered.

Zevon immediately sprang upright and hurried up the stairs. About half a minute later, he appeared at the top of the steps again.

"No sign of her, she's not upstairs." Zevon announced.

"Is she still outside?" Uma asked.

"No, right?" Harry replied somewhat unsure as he walked towards the door.

Uma followed him and together they scanned the outside of the tower and the ground around it. There was no sign of CJ. Thinking back, Uma couldn't remember if she had seen her after they teleported back, or even after the battle.

Uma wasn't worried though. After all, she really couldn't care less what would happen to CJ. The only reason she was currently even slightly invested in the matter was that CJ was a part of their crew, and anything related to their current objective was of importance to her.

The one other reason she might care about CJ's whereabouts was Harry. As much of a bitch CJ was, Harry was still her first mate and closest confidant. Despite their differences, Harry still cared somewhat for his sister, so much so that his happiness sometimes depended on that of CJ's. As much as Uma had often wanted Harry to stop pining for his sister, she had caved in an equal amount of times and allowed him to look out for her. The optional alternative was always that Harry would remain extraordinarily mopey and distant until Uma changed her mind.

Now CJ appeared to be missing. In the back of her mind, Uma vaguely hoped that she would not return, though she knew Harry would obviously be devastated by that outcome.

"Where the hell is she?" Harry grunted, looking around feverishly.

"No idea." Uma answered.

"Found her?" Gil shouted from the tower.

"No!" Uma and Harry replied in unison.

Solomon then also stepped out of the tower, followed by the others, and started looking around as if he thought Uma and Harry weren't looking around properly.

Harry stormed back up the hill, getting right into Solomon's face. "Where the hell is she!?" He grunted.

"If I knew, we wouldn't be playing hide and seek right now." Solomon replied in an icy tone.

"Why isn't she here!? How did this happen?" Harry went on.

Solomon bit his lip. "Did anyone actually see her after the battle?" He then asked the entire group.

Everyone just sort of looked at each other in an unsure way, but no one answered.

"What are you saying?" Harry asked.

"Do you remember seeing her after the battle?" Solomon responded, staring at Harry.

Harry looked up as he gathered his thoughts, occasionally shifting his eyes towards Uma. "N-no… I-I don't remember…"

"I do remember, and I have not seen her. Looking back, the last time I saw her was during the battle." Solomon told him.

"B-but… Wha- what does that mean!? Is she still back there!?" Harry shouted.

"No!" Zevon immediately called out, making everyone look at him. "I mean, ehm, we all left, right? We all used our potions…"

"CJ didn't have a partner!" Harry called out. "She didn't have a potion! Oh my god! She's still there!"

Uma chuckled a little to herself, going unnoticed by everyone. The thought of CJ all alone in that forest without a way of getting back was just too amusing for her.

"No way!" Zevon responded to Harry's outburst.

"Then where is she!?" Harry roared.

"Look, ehm, she's not stupid, right? We were all there when we transported back. If she didn't have a potion, she would have spoken up. I don't think she's there at all." Zevon said, crossing his arms.

"Where else!?" Harry thundered, starting to walk around panickily. "I mean… What if… H-how…"

"Maybe they took her." Clay said from the back.

"What?" Zevon asked lazily.

"Maybe the Auradonians took her captive?" Clay clarified, a filthy grin appearing on his face.

Harry walked up to him. "Don't say shit like that!"

"What if it's the truth?" Clay shrugged. "She's not here, so…"

"We need to go back!" Harry exclaimed, turning to Solomon. "Look for her in the forest."

"Not a chance." Solomon replied.

"What do you mean!? I-if she's in trouble we need to get her!" Harry yelled.

"Harry!" Uma snapped. "Chill…"

"I will not chill!" Harry raged. "CJ could be all alone out there!"

"We can't go back, right? I mean, that place has got to be crawling with Auradonians right now." Anthony offered.

"Exactly." Zevon added.

"Are you suggesting we leave her to the dogs!?" Harry asked indignant.

"Well, she shouldn't have gotten herself lost then." Anthony shrugged.

Uma recognized the signs and caught Harry's arm before he could swing his hook at Anthony.

"Calm down!" Uma hissed as Harry shook his arm loose.

"I'll go find her myself if you're all too high and mighty for that! Give me a fucking potion!" Harry stated, turning to Solomon.

"We're out of potions." Solomon replied in an icy tone.

"T-then make some more! Goddammit, I'm not playing around here!" Harry yelled, verging on hysteria.

"No." Solomon resolutely answered. "I'm not wasting resources."

"Wasting resources!? This is CJ we're talking about!" Harry again went up against Solomon.

"She's one member, and not an extremely important one at that." Solomon shrugged.

Even Uma thought that that was a little harsh. Solomon was sort of the leader of their expedition and it was thus his job to look out for his crew. To hear him so blatantly state he didn't care about the fate of his compatriots did not sit well with Uma. She knew he was talking about CJ, who she herself couldn't really care less about, but Uma knew as a gang leader herself that it could be very disrespectful and sometimes dangerous to not care about the lives of those you command.

"You brought her out here yourself!" Harry thundered. "I-if she… If she gets hurt o-or d-dies… T-then that's on you!"

"And my broken heart will live forever with that guilt." Solomon replied with a mock pout. "I regret it has come to this, but I will not apologize for a strategically correct decision."

"Let me look for her!" Harry practically begged Solomon and Uma.

"I thought you finally got over her?" Uma told Harry, a little softer than she expected.

"I don't want her dead." Harry answered. "Let me look for her."

"We wouldn't know where to start." Solomon said. "If she did remain in the forest, she'll be a prisoner of the Auradonians by now. If she's not there, then we can do even less."

"We can't leave her to her fate!" Harry hissed.

"I can, in this case." Solomon replied indifferently.

"Bastard!" Harry grunted as he went up to Solomon, who did not back down.

"That's enough. We'll discuss this again later, for now we'll need to decide how to get the message to Harriet." Solomon stated before turning around, leaving an obviously distraught Harry.

"Now wait a minute!" Harry shouted, wanting to follow him, before Uma placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him from doing so.

"Harry, stop." Uma ordered him.

"Let go!" Harry grunted as he yanked on Uma's arm.

"No! You stay!" Uma sneered as she pushed Harry back, away from the tower. "Let me talk to him."

Harry stared at her a little perplexed, but nodded eventually before sitting down on the side of the hill.

"I'll be right back." Uma said before turning around and heading for the tower.

Inside, she found everyone except Solomon sitting around the table.

"Is he in his room?" Uma asked, feeling no need to clarify.

"Probably dusting his kettle again." Anthony mumbled.

Uma moved past everyone towards Solomon's self-claimed private room. She took the curtesy to knock, but didn't wait for a reply as she let herself in. Solomon was indeed kneeling next to the black cauldron, brushing his hand along the rim.

"Harry's not happy." Uma simply stated.

"I noticed, yet I care very little." Solomon replied without looking up. "We knew what we signed up for, there were bound to be casualties."

"Oh, you know I don't give a damn about what happened to CJ, but Harry's a different matter. He won't let this go easily." Uma explained.

"What do you suggest then?" Solomon asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know… Let him look for her? Once he realizes it's hopeless, he might stop bickering." Uma shrugged.

"I already told him, I will not waste resources on a worthless cause." Solomon retorted.

Uma felt a slight twitch of anger. "Now, see, you might see this as a worthless cause, but that's Harry's sister. You might want to reconsider how you bring this to him! And, wasn't CJ part of your crew?"

"She was more of a nuisance really. Come on Uma, I would have expected you of all people to encourage me to feed CJ to the lions." Solomon exclaimed.

"First, I do not care about CJ, I care about Harry! Second, this doesn't particularly count for CJ, but I find it quite disturbing how willing you are to leave members of your crew behind." Uma said, crossing her arms.

"The end justifies the means." Solomon answered. "Anyone who's not essential counts as a burden once they've outrun their purpose."

"So, what if I got separated from the group, or captured by Auradonians, hmm? Do I count as essential for your ultimate goal?" Uma questioned, squinting.

"Luckily for you, you do." Solomon replied with somewhat of a smirk. "Aside from leading a considerable portion of my army, you're also a powerful enough magic wielder to be of use to me."

"Your army?" Uma repeated, letting as much distrust as possible be present in her voice.

"I do lead this enterprise." Solomon confirmed.

"You really think an awful lot of yourself." Uma sneered.

Solomon looked back at the cauldron. "Anything else you wanted to discuss? If not, you can scram! You know where the door is."

Uma gave Solomon the finger before kicking the door open and heading back outside, where she found Harry in the same position where she'd left him.

"I'm going." He said once she sat down next to him. "Whatever that asshole says, I'm going."

"He again made it clear he didn't want to 'waste resources on a worthless cause'." Uma spat.

"That bastard." Harry muttered as he balled his fists.

"On this one however, I agree with Horns that you shouldn't go." Uma said with just a hint of hesitation.

"Uma! You know how…" Harry began.

"I do know how you feel!" Uma snapped. "I thought that you'd finally moved on but obviously she has something that pulls you towards her."

"She's family." Harry simply mumbled.

"I know that, but she's also just one person and admit it, you have no idea where to start if you actually wanted to go out and get her." Uma challenged.

"Get back to the forest for a start." Harry shrugged.

"A forest crawling with people who want us arrested. Harry, that's suicide." Uma sighed.

"B-but… W-what if they captured her?" Harry asked in a fearful tone.

"They're way too soft here in Auradon to do any real harm to her. The prison beds here are probably more comfortable than what we have on the isle." Uma joked.

Harry kept on looking unhappy.

"Look, we'll scan the papers and do some extra watching out, maybe we'll learn what'd happened to her if she actually was captured." Uma offered.

"Still, I mean… L-look what the bloody king did to me!" Harry said, gesturing at his own face.

"If they want to keep up the image than they're the good guys, they can't really go around beating up everyone they capture. Besides, as annoying as she is, CJ's tough." Uma replied.

"Real tough." Harry confirmed with a half-smile.

"Harry…" Uma began, looking into his eyes. "You know I rather not get involved with CJ, but you need to know that I do care about you… As much as it pains me, I-I'll follow you if you, ehm…"

"Go after her?" Harry responded breathlessly.

"Yes. Just once though, don't test my patience." Uma grumpily added.

"I'll not forget this, Uma." Harry promised heartfelt.

"Don't you dare get sappy on me and rather start becoming useful to me again." Uma smirked. "And promise you'll stop moping until we get some concrete news, then you can start making plans."

"Plans to break her out." Harry nodded. "If his excellency agrees to it at least." He then scoffed.

"I doubt it." Uma sneered. "He made it very clear that he won't hesitate to sacrifice any of us if it meant he could achieve his goal."

"But we knew that." Harry shrugged.

"I trust him less and less every day." Uma commented. "He's really beginning to lose it with that whole obsession over the cauldron. So far, he kept it together a little, but mark my words, he'll only become more dangerous."

"You don't need to convince me, I always knew that daft bastard had a screw loose, or multiple." Harry pondered.

"The time may come when we'll no longer need him you know?" Uma said, twisting her thumbs a little.

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" Harry asked with a faint smile.

"Of course. Horns is dangerous to all of us, and if he gets to decide when someone's stopped being useful to him, I think we can do the same for him." Uma smirked. "First we'll need to deal with Auradon though, then the rest."

"Until it's just you and me and the world." Harry grinned.

"You, me and the world." Uma confirmed as she stroked Harry's cheek a little.


	30. Chapter 30: Heartbreak

**A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 30: Heartbreak

"Your majesties, he's arrived." A servant said as soon as he entered the common room of Beast Castle where Mal was currently hold up with Belle and Adam.

"Finally." Adam growled as he stood up from his chair and hurried towards the door, followed by his wife, who had been pretending to skim through a book she'd undoubtedly read before.

Mal stayed silent and swallowed heavily as she also stood up and hurried after her future in-laws.

It was two days after Mal's failed attempt at catching the villains and Ben's subsequent mission to rescue her from said failed attempt. The day after the debacle had been one where Mal and her friends had worked non-stop to find out where their missing friends had disappeared to.

Jordan was still in the hospital, being subjected to very delicate and rarely used magical treatments to help heal her wounds. She had woken up around midday the day after they'd brought her in but was still unable to really do anything without feeling an immense burning pain from the curse she'd been subjected to.

Besides Jordan, Chad and Royce had also sustained substantial damage from the fight, with the former suffering yet another concussion and the latter having to walk around with a bandaged-up ankle for the time being.

Mal was absolutely exhausted. She had promised Audrey, her other friends, but mostly herself that she wouldn't sleep until she'd find Ben. And so, she had stayed up all night and the following day trying to come up with ways to find Ben, Evie, Lonnie, Archer and Aden, all her missing friends.

Jay and Doug had joined her from the beginning, both obviously eager to locate and bring back their girlfriends. Jay was determined and mostly silent, spending most time contacting people he knew from all over the kingdom to inquire if they'd seen or heard anything that could help in their search. Doug acted far more icily towards Mal than she was used to, barely saying a word and a frown almost permanently present on his normally so calm and kind face. Mal wasn't surprised with his attitude, given that it had been her bad decision making that had gotten them in this mess and had caused Evie to go missing. He had mostly been active online, which was his area of expertise, looking at online message forums for anything that might lead them in the right direction.

After a while, Lancelot had joined them, telling her he was prepared to look past her what he called 'egotistical wrongdoings' and help her in locating the others. Even though he proved to be far from pleasant company, Mal was happy to have someone with so much magical expertise help her.

The hardest part of this whole ordeal undoubtedly had been telling what had happened to Ben's parents. Following Mal and the others' return from the battle, Belle and Adam had rushed to the hospital, only to hear from Mal that their son was now missing.

Adam had violently cursed, obviously extremely unhappy with both Mal and the entire situation. Belle, in her panic, had burst into tears but refused to let any of her anger out on Mal. Following a lengthy discussion on what had happened and what felt like at least a thousand apologies from Mal, they had naturally agreed to help find Ben.

A difficult matter Mal'd had to discuss with Belle and Adam regarded the press, because when didn't it? Yes, Ben was missing, but neither her, Belle, Adam, Lumière or any other advisor saw it wise to let the press know that the king of Auradon had disappeared after a fight with the kingdom's biggest enemy.

The press, nosy as always, had of course picked up on the fact that Mal and her friends had visited the hospital and had rolled out in droves to see if they could sniff out any juicy stories.

Mal, who had to come up with something on the spot, told the reporters that it had been a small, but manageable accident and that everything was fine. When asked if the accident had had anything to do with the villain attack, she had resolutely denied any involvement. When asked about why king Benjamin wasn't present or his current whereabouts, she had pretty much waved the question off as if the current matter was far too small for the king to be involved in. To her glee, the press seemed content with her answers and did not go to any lengths to try and find out more of the story by, for instance, trying to sneak into the hospital.

Belle and Adam had secretly contacted all their fellow rulers in Auradon and asked them if they could supply them with any information regarding Ben. Some rulers, including queen Leah of Auroria, had responded with disgust after hearing of the reason why Ben was missing in the first place. Mal felt even worse after hearing this, since she had single-handedly again reinforced the stereotype that everyone from the isle caused trouble on the mainland. Due to the fact that Ben had proposed to her, but that they weren't married yet, she feared that protests and possible riots against her future coronation as queen of Auradon would only grow more frequent.

In any case, after over 24 hours of continuous working and thinking Mal had been sitting in Beast Castle with Adam, Lancelot, Lumière and Fairy Godmother, hopelessly thinking of ways to find Ben, when the castle's landline received a call.

Lumière had answered the phone and had gasped loudly after introducing himself. "It's king Benjamin!" He had said, making everyone else present go stiff as a board. Adam had been the first to jump over the couch and rush at the phone, which Lumière had naturally given him. Ben didn't talk long, only stating that he was fine and had the others with him at Eden. He planned on resting for the night before he and the others would make the trip back to Beast Castle the next day. Some small reassurances were followed by goodbyes as Adam hung up.

"He's alright… He's alright…" Adam sighed, allowing himself to drop down into the nearest chair.

Mal was obviously elated from hearing this news, along with the others present, but did feel a small sense of insecurity. Ben had called, but he had not asked for her… Did that mean that he believed that this was a matter far too serious to discuss over the phone? Did he just want to talk about what had happened face-to-face? Or did he not want to talk to her at all? Did he hate her now for having endangered their friends and the kingdom yet again? These questions kept Mal up for the entirety of the following night, with not even the knowledge that Ben, Evie and the others were fine being able to calm her down.

Immediately after Ben's call, she had messaged her friends, telling them that Ben and the other missing people were safe and that the search was over. Again, while everyone reacted happily knowing the king was safe, Mal could clearly hear an underlying tone of disdain in the voices of nearly everyone she talked to, making it clear that it would probably take some time before the kingdom would forget about her latest blunder.

The next day was pure agony for Mal. Eden was quite a distance away, so even though Ben and the others left quite early in the morning, it would take them until the late afternoon to arrive back at Beast Castle. Mal spent that morning and early afternoon simply wandering aimlessly walking through the empty hallways, trying to pass the time as her nerves began eating at her.

On the one hand, she wanted nothing more than to talk to Ben, try to make things right and hopefully work towards their happily ever after. On the other hand, she was totally terrified of his possible reaction. Would he forgive her? Would they be able to work things out? Was their relationship strong enough to survive this?

She had not dared to share any of these insecurities with Belle or Adam, who also largely remained silent as they simply sat and waited for Ben to return. Mal felt as though you could cut the tension with a knife as they only looked up at each other sporadically, with the only questions being asked those relating to what time it was.

The servant coming with the news that Ben had arrived thus came both as a relief and as something a little less positive to her. Right now though, as she followed Belle and Adam to the entrance of Beast Castle, her positive emotions won over. She really just wanted to see Ben gain.

Near the main hall of the castle, they were met by some of Mal's friends. Mainly Jay, Carlos, Freddie, Doug and Lancelot, who were all naturally eager to see their friends again as well.

Jay put an arm around Mal, but the rest kept their distance as they headed out onto the front lawn, staring out towards the gates in the distance. Fall was beginning to set in with most plants losing their bright colors and the trees beginning to turn yellow.

"Are you nervous?" Jay asked Mal, momentarily looking at her.

"Are you?" Mal replied breathlessly, knowing that Jay would soon also have to face a possibly quite disgruntled partner.

"I'm fearing for my life." Jay nodded, almost making Mal crack a smile.

"Please, at least you didn't almost drag everyone to their deaths." Mal sighed.

"I won't let you take the fall for this alone." Jay reassured her, squeezing her shoulder a little.

"Thanks Jay, but I really don't want anyone else to get into trouble for this as well." Mal replied.

"And I don't want you to become, like, the kingdom's scape goat or whatever." Jay told her, sounding both fearful and sincere.

"I already am." Mal said with a watery smile. "Large parts of Auradon will never accept me, but I've made my peace with that."

"You shouldn't." Jay grunted. "The people are just being stupid if they don't realize how good of a queen you'd be."

"A queen who keeps dragging others into danger, ha!" Mal scoffed.

"We'll work on that." Jay shrugged, but he fell silent when he and everyone else in front of the castle noticed the fancy car driving up to and then past the front gate.

Mal's breath got stuck in her throat as she slowly walked forward along with the others, watching the car approach in what felt like the most tedious drive-up in history.

Mal saw how Belle clutched Adam's arm and was hit with another wave of guilt thinking of she had caused them so much fear in these part couple of days.

Before the car had even come to a stop, the back door flew open and Lonnie pretty much jumped out and flung herself at Jay, who caught her in his arms before helplessly tumbling back and landing roughly on his back.

"You stupid idiot!" Lonnie shrieked as she pounded Jay's chest with her fists.

"Lonnie! Lonnie! Ow!" Jay yelled in return, putting up his arms to protect himself from the barrage.

"You. Could. Have. Been. Killed!" Lonnie went on, underlining each word with a punch at Jay's chest.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Okay?" Jay exclaimed, finally able to grab Lonnie's wrists and pull her against him. Lonnie's resolve pretty much melted away at that moment and she simply bent forward and roughly planted her lips on Jay's.

Mal and the others present looked away awkwardly as Jay and Lonnie appeared to start off a heavy make out session.

Evie was the next to exit the car and her eyes immediately filled with tears when she noticed Doug standing at the front of the group. They hurried towards each other, but contrary to Jay and Lonnie simply met in a tight embrace and kissed each other tenderly but heartfelt. Evie's eyes met Mal's for a second, but Mal couldn't blame her for tending to Doug first.

"You really had me worried." Doug whispered, just loud enough for Mal to hear.

"You know me… I manage…" Evie replied with a small sniff, softly stroking the back of Doug's head.

"I never want to let you go again." Doug went on, pulling Evie tighter against him.

"Good." Evie smiled before kissing him again.

At that moment, Mal saw two people exit the car on the other side. Her breath stocked immediately when she caught a glimpse of Ben, who was helping Aden out of the car.

"Ben!" Belle shrieked as she hurried towards her son.

Ben managed to switch his shocked expression into a warm smile as he tightly embraced his mother, who began sobbing against his shoulder.

"Mom… Mom, I'm fine." Ben reassured her with a hesitant grin and some small pats on the back.

"Well, sorry if were a little afraid during for your wellbeing your disappearance." Adam said as he came up to Ben but only patted him on his shoulder.

"Good to see you too, dad." Ben smiled.

"Don't scare us like that ever again!" Belle then warned Ben with a strict finger once she'd stepped back a bit.

"Woah, I-I promise." Ben hastily stuttered, cowering under his mother's glare.

Mal had not said a word yet to any of the arrivals, her eyes focused on Ben and her mind having seemingly turned off for the occasion. The people around her were eagerly talking to each other, momentarily not paying attention to her.

Lancelot had walked up to Aden and it seemed as though he had already began discussing Aden's decision to accompany Mal with him, judging from the serious frowns on their faces and Lancelot's frequent gesturing.

Carlos and Freddie had both already approached Evie and had received warm hugs from her before they started talking, obviously recapping what had happened in the past two very eventful days. Evie's eyes occasionally shot towards Mal, but she had yet to approach her.

Jay and Lonnie were still on the ground, with the latter sitting on her boyfriend's lap and reprimanding him in between small kissing breaks. Mal felt her stomach flutter as she watched them. Surely if Jay and Lonnie could make up, she and Ben could too.

Mal turned her attention back to where Ben stood and immediately froze once she realized he was staring straight at her. She found it difficult to pinpoint his exact the emotions in his eyes, but she knew for certain that he had looked at her far more lovingly before.

Just as Ben walked towards Mal, she suddenly felt two arms around her that pulled her into a tight embrace. Judging from the sea of blue locks which had doomed up not an inch from Mal's eyes, she easily deducted that it was Evie.

"You have to stop doing these things, especially without me!" She said right into her ear.

"Hey, E." Mal softly replied, softly hugging back.

"I'm serious, M." Evie continued as she slightly let go and held her at arm's length. "Endanger yourself like this again and I might have to break off our best friendship."

"I'm sorry, E." Mal stammered with a heavy heart.

Evie just sighed as she tightly embraced Mal again. "When everything else is gone, there's always you and me. Remember that, M."

"What have I ever done to deserve you?" Mal replied with a small laugh.

"Clearly not enough." Evie smiled back.

"Ehm, sorry to interrupt." A voice from behind Evie said.

Mal and Evie looked back and saw Ben standing a few feet further, twiddling his thumbs. Mal's eyes widened and her mouth went dry as he similarly bit her lip in the dreaded awkwardness of the situation.

"Mal, we need to talk." Ben said. It wasn't a question and the usual jovial or loving tone that he usually used with her was clearly absent from his voice.

"Yes…" Mal breathlessly replied as she let go of Evie and crossed her arms in a protective gesture.

"Let's go inside. We need, ehm… We should probably do this in private…" Ben told her, obviously not happy with the situation either, but knowing they had to resolve it now.

Mal just nodded in response as she gave Evie one more fearful look before turning around and walking back towards Beast Castle with Ben. The walk towards the doors was awkward enough already, as she felt the eyes of everyone else on her and Ben, obviously fearful as well for what as about to happen. Ben reached the door before Mal and courteously opened it for her. Mal wanted to thank him, she really did, but no words escaped her mouth, so she just gulped before heading inside.

Once inside, Mal felt as though the awkwardness level only rose as she and Ben walked through many empty hallways in the direction of Ben's office in complete silence. This was really a first for both of them as they had always been readily able to talk to one another, even before they'd started dating. Even during periods of high stress or small arguments, they had talked. When either one of them had been sad, they had talked. When either one of them had been confused or doubtful, they had talked. But now, they didn't talk.

When they finally arrived at Ben's office after that hellish walk through the castle, he again opened the door for her, and again she said nothing in return. Once inside, Mal simply remained standing in the middle of the room as Ben also entered and closed the door behind him.

"Do you know what will happen now?" Ben asked as soon as they were alone, his voice sounding hollow and tired.

"W-what?" Mal exclaimed, not really having expected that question.

"Do you know what will happen now? What I have to do?" Ben continued as he walked further into the room.

Mal wasn't sure if it would be better to sit down or not while she would be having this talk with Ben, but ultimately decided to remain standing for now.

"What you have to do?" Mal questioned still unsure.

"Mal…" Ben began, sounding as if every word brought him agony. "I, ehm… I will have to deliver punishment…"

"Oh…" Mal simply replied, squeezing her upper arm.

"Mal, what you did was inexcusable!" Ben suddenly fell out at her, making her jump slightly in surprise. "Y-you endangered our friends, a-and yourself not to forget!"

"I know." Mal immediately snapped, these accusations being almost unbearable for her to hear, especially from Ben.

"Y-you know?" Ben questioned, obviously not having expected her to capitulate so quickly.

"Ben, I-I know… What I did was stupid and, and irresponsible and dumb! I-I never wanted anyone to get hurt… I never wanted… This!" Mal ranted, gesturing around her.

Ben didn't reply as he bit his lip, looking at her with more sympathy now.

"I wanted to help… I wanted to do what I thought was right…" Mal continued, looking down.

"I know…" Ben replied. "Aden told me on the way while we were, ehm, gone…"

"What did he say?" Mal asked.

"Everything I feared you'd say actually." Ben answered. "After our fight… I knew you still had things to say, things I didn't want to hear. Things about the war, how I was handling it… Things no ruler really wants to hear from those close to him."

"I'm sorry." Mal mumbled.

"Don't be." Ben replied. "I mean, ehm, everyone has to be brought down to earth every once in a while, kings especially. I told you before, I never want to become the king that doesn't listen."

"That's something I admire so much about you." Mal said, followed by her first genuine smile of the conversation. "That willingness to listen is something I'd hate to ever see you lose."

"Is that why you went against me?" Ben asked, startling Mal a little. "Because you thought I didn't listen?"

Mal gulped. "Well, a little… Y-you kept getting more, ehm, distant…"

"Distant?" Ben questioned. "Mal, I never stopped caring about whatever you had to say."

Mal felt a small twitch of annoyance. "Then why did we fight so much recently? Why are we never on the same page anymore?"

Ben's look soured. "Mal, okay look, there's a difference between me caring about what you have to say and me blindly agreeing with everything. I value you, you know that, but I can't simply abandon all my principles for you."

"Lately it hasn't felt like you value me at all. Ben, you don't know the half of it. Y-you made me feel like a burden instead of a partner." Mal went on.

Now Ben looked shocked. "What have I ever done to make you feel like a burden?"

"Oh, you don't know!?" Mal scoffed. "Ben, for the past weeks you have only put me on the sidelines! You went on raids without me when I begged you, I begged you not to go! You keep me away from any decisions that needed to be made! Y-you just discarded me when I needed you most! After the orphanage…"

"It was a trap!" Ben said loud and clear. "I told you it was a trap! Archer, Lance, everyone told you it was a trap!"

"And I told you I didn't care!" Mal fired back. "This is your kingdom! I would have expected you of all people to want the villains out!"

"And I do!" Ben roared. "What do you think I've been thinking about for these past months! All I want is for my people, everyone, to be safe!"

"So, why don't help me!?" Mal asked, taking one step closer to Ben.

"When I said I wanted everyone to be safe, that includes you and our friends. I will not sacrifice lives in order to win this war." Ben calmly explained.

"We could have prepared." Mal shrugged. "I told you, we could have prepared better, evade their trap."

"Those people are the most dangerous in Auradon." Ben pointed out. "Forgive me if I'd rather not take risks with them."

"I know them!" Mal grunted. "And I was willing to take the risk."

"I'm not!" Ben growled. "Mal, you said I put you on the sidelines, well, I had a good reason for that."

"Don't you dare bring up the isle again!" Mal warned.

"Oh, I will!" Ben responded. "You were half dead! The blood… The bruises… The cuts… I don't ever want to see that again…"

"That's not for you to decide." Mal replied, but a little softer.

"It is if I can help it." Ben scoffed. "Mal, think for a second… Imagine if it had been me who'd been wheeled in, barely clutching to life…"

Mal felt her stomach twist. Oh, she'd imagined it all too often the past couple of months and the prospect made her feel as nauseous as ever.

"Ben… All I do, all I ever do, is to stop that from happening…" Mal whispered.

Ben suddenly clutched her hands. "But don't you get it… If you keep trying to save me and end up in the hospital because of it, you're not making me feel any better."

"If I get hurt so that other people live, then so be it." Mal stubbornly went on.

Ben just as suddenly pulled his hands away from hers. "No! Mal! No! I will not voluntarily sit by and watch you get hurt over and over again for the supposed safety of the kingdom!"

"And I won't sit idly by as people invade what will be my country without someone standing in their way!" Mal spat.

"I stand in their way!" Ben roared. "And I will continue to do so! I will not rest before I know that all is good, and safe… But I will not make reckless decisions."

"Maybe that's something you can still learn from the isle." Mal snapped. "Some decisions we made might have been reckless, but there were always results to show for it."

"And tell me, on the isle, did everyone survive? Hmm, were you happy with the outcome?" Ben asked incredulously.

Mal felt herself turn red as she balled her fists. "How dare you!?"

"No! How dare you!?" Ben thundered, getting right up into her face. "You must have known! Surely you must have known what this would do to me! I told you how I felt after you got back from the isle, I told you I never wanted to see you like that again!"

"And I'm not…" Mal wanted to rebuttal, but Ben overruled her.

"No, this time even more of our friends got injured! A-and I don't know what's worse, Mal…" He stammered.

"That shouldn't have happened…" Mal mumbled.

"But it did! Mal, ehm, you know I can't let this slide! It was bad enough after last time, b-but I fear that more and more people will, ehm, that they will demand certain things…" Ben said.

"They already do." Mal sighed. "I had to explain your disappearance to everyone and let's just say some people did not take kindly to it."

"I could have guessed." Ben nodded. "Mal… The past days… After, you know, the battle and all…"

"What?" Mal asked.

"I've been thinking… Thinking about, well, everything… How to handle this…" Ben groaned.

"You want to punish me…" Mal replied breathlessly. "I get it."

"No! Mal, I don't 'want' to punish you! I would never 'want' any of this… You however, well, you've given me no choice…" Ben answered.

"All I wanted to do was help!" Mal almost cried.

"And you almost got yourself killed! You almost got our friends killed! And you almost got me and the others killed trying to save you!" Ben yelled.

"I did not want that, Ben! I never wanted anyone to get hurt to save me!" Mal clarified.

"Then don't go out on these fruitless missions!" Ben retorted. "Don't go and recklessly throw yourself in danger because you should know by now that there are many people here who'd gladly sacrifice themselves for you… Me included…"

Mal felt a lump in her throat as the first tear rolled down her cheek.

"Sometimes I get the idea you don't know how much I would do for you…" Ben began. "And other times I fear that you do know… And take advantage of it…"

"Take advantage of it?" Mal questioned, genuinely confused.

"Mal, if it had been anyone else, literally anyone else, who would have pulled a stunt like you did and endangered multiple people, I would not hesitate to throw them in prison." Ben explained coolly, making Mal blush even more. "What you did pretty much violated every law in Auradon. You disregarded a king's orders, my orders, and endangered innocent inhabitants of Auradon."

"And how is that taking advantage of you?" Mal asked.

"Because of who you are to me! I love you and I'd hate to do anything that causes you pain, or discomfort or anything negative really." Ben explained.

"Ben… I would never do that…" Mal pleaded.

"I hoped so… I really did… And then you did this… You're forcing my hand here…" Ben stammered.

"Okay…" Mal mumbled. "So punish me…"

Ben suddenly turned around and grabbed at his hair. "Aahh! Don't you get it!? Don't you get that this…" He gestured in between him and Mal, "is causing me more pain than anything else!? I promised you that I would never do anything to hurt you… I know how much you've been through and do you think I want to add to that list?"

Mal looked down, deeply ashamed. "I get it…" She said softly.

"You don't!" Ben immediately replied. "Because I have to do something, Mal. T-this really can't go unpunished. As noble as your intentions were, they do not take away from your actions."

"A moment ago, you said you didn't want to punish me." Mal spoke softly, still not looking at Ben.

"And I don't! I really don't! But I have to! And that's on you for making me feel this unhappy!" Ben shouted, his voice finally cracking.

Mal's face scrunched up in anger. "Don't you dare!"

"It's the truth!" Ben shouted. "If you would not have done what you did, we would not be in this situation! If you had stayed calm… If you would have obeyed my orders… If you would not have recklessly jumped into danger…"

"Ben!" Mal interrupted him. "Look… I see what I did wrong, okay? I regret it. I regret putting all those people in danger… But I do not regret trying to fight off the villains."

"Mal…" Ben pleaded.

"No, Ben! This is who I am! I am not a person to sit on the sidelines! I am a person with ideas of her own, opinions of her own! I'm not some docile puppy to just smile sweetly and go along with whatever you want! If I see a situation pointed south, I can't just ignore it, sometimes I wish I could…" Mal ranted.

Ben remained silent during Mal's speech, his eyes not filled with anger, but sadness.

"Ben, once I already changed myself for you, for the kingdom, and I never want to do anything like that again. If I can't be who I am, then I don't know if can keep doing this…"

"And who is it that you are?" Ben asked, getting closer to her. "Are you a person who isn't afraid to mindlessly put other people in dangerous situations? Are you a person who would be willing to let people die for her cause?"

"No, of course not!" Mal shrieked. "Ben, you know me!"

"I thought I did." Ben sighed. "I thought you were the most precious thing… I thought I could love you unconditionally…"

Mal breathed in deeply, more tears swelling in her eyes.

"I never wanted you to change… I never urged you to change… But I hoped, ehm… I hoped that…" Ben stammered.

"You hoped what?" Mal asked.

"I hoped that some of your, ehm, 'isle qualities' would disappear in time while you were here." Ben finished.

Mal felt almost sick. "My 'isle qualities'?" She questioned, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "What 'isle qualities'?"

"For one, your ongoing lack of respect for any system of rules, any laws, any…" Ben began.

"Any system of oppression." Mal interrupted him with a scowl.

"Oppression!? Mal, this is society! This is how things work! And I am the one who has to uphold all of it! Doing all these things, it's, ehm, especially hard on me!" Ben exclaimed.

"Oh yeah, it's soooo hard on you…" Mal sneered.

"When I have to keep punishing the person I love, yes!" Ben yelled.

"I can't change who I am, Ben! And I don't want to!" Mal retorted, equally as loud.

"So, you don't regret anything!?" Ben seethed. "You wouldn't want to change anything that's happened?"

"Yes, I do! Well… The outcome… I don't regret my decision…" Mal stubbornly answered.

Ben looked as though Mal had hit him. "Your decision is what got us in this trouble. Your decision went against me as king!"

"I don't care about you as king! I care about you as you." Mal pleaded.

"But I am king!" Ben thundered. "I am king, Mal, and that isn't gonna change. I will do everything I can to be a good king to my people."

Mal sighed. "I know that. I don't want you to, ehm, forsake it all… Ben… This is who you are… And this is who I am…"

"I know that and I love you just the way you are…" Ben said in an almost pleading tone. "But I also need to fulfill my duties as king, and… And I can't just spend my time either covering for you or reprimanding you…"

"We can work this out, right? We have to… There has to be some middle ground here." Mal looked up at Ben to see his reaction.

Ben closed his eyes, obviously conflicted. "No middle ground here, Mal. I need you to promise me never to go out on your own again."

Mal felt as though she'd been slapped in the face. "How can you ask me that?"

"You're forcing me to!" Ben grunted. "I need reassurance! If you show regret and promise to better yourself, I might be able to…"

"I can't promise that, Ben." Mal interrupted him.

"Mal…" Ben lamented.

"I can't change who I am. I don't necessarily want to break any rules, but if I happen to do so while I'm doing what I think is right, I will be happy to take the fall." Mal reassured him.

"That's no way for us to live, Mal." Ben shook his head. "I can't keep living in fear of you not agreeing with the law and sporadically acting out as a vigilante."

"Well, I can't just live under the crown's thumb forever. Ben, every once in a while I'll need my space." Mal retorted.

Ben cast his eyes downward. "I thought we discussed all these things before our betrothal."

"That was before we were at war. You said it yourself, times change…" Mal sighed.

"And you said that people could change too." Ben practically whispered.

After that exchange, they both stayed silent for a small period of time, their minds swamped in harrowing thoughts.

"We can't keep doing this." Ben eventually spoke, looking back into Mal's eyes. "If this continues, we'll actually end up hating each other."

Mal closed her eyes as one more tear fell onto her cheek. "What are you saying?"

Ben balled his fists. "Mal, if neither of us can change their mind… If we can't find common ground… I don't see how this can continue… I don't see how, ehm, 'we' can continue…"

Mal looked up sharply. "Are you breaking up with me?"

Ben couldn't look Mal in the eye. "You're forcing me to…"

"I'm not forcing you to do anything!" Mal snapped, her voice dripping with emotion.

"Mal, you can't become queen while you keep doing what you're doing! I can't be with someone who cannot respect the laws of her own country!" Ben explained.

"You can't do this to me…" Mal whimpered, genuine tears now pouring out of her eyes.

Ben's eyes watered up as well. "Then help me fix this… Help me find a way…"

"I don't know how…" Mal cried, her voice trembling.

Ben put his face in his hands as he took several heaving breaths. "I don't know either…"

"B-but we can't… It's not…" Mal stammered, the stress and emotions preventing her saying anything. "This can't be it! We can't end this way!"

Tears began dripping down Ben's cheeks. "Everything ends… Someday…"

"Ben…" Mal whispered.

"Please help me here!" Ben suddenly begged. "For me! For the people! For the kingdom! Can you promise me to never violate a law, or my trust, again?"

"I can promise to try…" Mal offered, her voice growing raspy.

"I can't take that…" Ben replied, the words obviously causing him an incredible amount of pain. "Please, Mal…"

Despite the sadness and pain in her chest, Mal could not bring herself to promise Ben anything, knowing it would be an empty promise. Even now, she could not in her right mind lie to Ben.

"Don't make me do this…" She pleaded.

"T-then this has to be it…" Ben said with his eyes cast down, so quietly that Mal could almost not distinguish the words. "This can't go on…"

"So… That's it… Just like that?" Mal stuttered.

Ben didn't look up as a few sobs wrecked his shoulders.

Mal stood up lighting quick, not even having realized she had sat down on the back of the couch in Ben's office. Heavy sobs erupted in her chest as she practically ran out the room, almost bashing open the door in the process. Outside, she saw to her surprise how a rather flustered looking Lancelot and Aden quickly stepped back from the door.

"M-mal, we, ehm…" Aden began, but Mal didn't wait to hear what he had to say and instead quickly ran in the opposite direction as fast as she could, her cries only growing louder and louder as she ran and ran, trying to distance herself from the pain, from the anguish, and from Ben.


	31. Chapter 31: Trust

**A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 31: Trust

"Wake up!" A loud voice said before Archer felt something being thrown right into his stomach. He momentarily doubled over with a groan as he opened his eyes and examined his surroundings.

The cave was well-lit, with bright beams of sunlight coming through the entrance. The steady dripping of melting snow was the only sound he could hear at the moment as he looked back at his companion.

CJ Hook was kneeling next to what had been their fire, but what had now been reduced to a pile of ash and a few charred branches. She had undone her braid and her long, blonde hair flowed over her shoulder, masking her face.

"What the hell!?" Archer grunted as he looked down to see the item thrown into his lap was a burned-up log.

"You needed to wake up." CJ shrugged.

"What time is it?" Archer asked as he sat up and dusted off his clothes, his breath still producing a small cloud of steam.

"Eight." CJ answered to the point, showing him an old pocket watch in her right hand.

"It looks like it's stopped snowing." Archer said as he threw away the log, walked towards the entrance and looked out, seeing only a blue sky and a bright sun.

"Real perceptive of you." CJ mumbled, standing up as well.

"Well, let's hope it stays that way." Archer groaned, stretching a little.

"I saw no clouds outside, just sun and a blue sky." CJ said, attaching her scabbard to her hip.

"You've been out already? Could have woken me up at least." Archer commented.

"But you looked so cute drooling over the ground." CJ smirked, making Archer roll his eyes.

"Fine… Well… We might as well head out. The journey's probably still a while… Do you need breakfast?" Archer asked as he picked up his own scabbard and slung it across his back.

"I don't need anything. Let's just go." CJ replied crankily as she stepped out their temporary hideout.

"Not a morning person, are you?" Archer grinned as he accompanied her, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face.

"Is anyone?" CJ groaned.

Archer shrugged. "I've always rather enjoyed it… Having a nice jog as the sun starts to rise…"

"You're weird." CJ responded with a small smile.

"Why? Because I enjoy exercise?" Archer smirked.

"No, that's not it." CJ replied as they clambered over the first set of large rocks on their path.

"Then what? What makes me so strange in your eyes?" Archer went on, looking at her out of the corner of his eyes whilst simultaneously watching where he stepped.

"Maybe it's just something all you Auradonians have…" CJ shrugged. "I wouldn't know, you're the first one I've really, ehm, talked to…"

"And I'm ever so honored." Archer responded.

"Hmm, you also seem more jovial than yesterday." CJ remarked, taking a second to look back at him.

"A good night's sleep perhaps." Archer shrugged. "Or the knowledge that you did not rob me bare in my slumber has cooled my mind?"

"As if you have anything worth stealing." CJ mocked.

"Ehm, excuse me, but have you seen my sword?" Archer joked, pointing to Excalibur, which was strung across his back.

"Yes, but you might have noticed that I have one of my own." CJ replied, pointing to the scabbard attached to her hip.

"I can assure you that it's nothing like mine." Archer boasted.

"No, yours was special, right? It even had a name… Escabilur or something?" CJ mocked.

"Excalibur, and yes, it's very special." Archer beamed with pride.

"Where'd you get it?" CJ asked as they got to a more even surface.

"It was my father's." Archer explained, feeling no need to refuse to answer. "It was given to me when I turned fourteen."

"And where did your father get the magic sword, hmm? Is he a wizard?" CJ continued in a mocking tone but sounding genuinely interested.

"No, but he was worthy. You know the story, right? My father, Arthur, pulled Excalibur out of its stone, which in turn made him king." Archer told her.

"Pulling a sword out of a stone made him king?" CJ questioned, confused.

"Ehm, yes." Archer hesitantly answered.

"Doesn't sound like a solid basis for a system of government." CJ laughed.

"Right, like, what do you know?" Archer retorted. "In any case, he has done a great job."

"His son could surely be less egotistical." CJ scoffed.

"Egotistical!?" Archer exclaimed, the amusement trumping the anger in his voice. "How am I ever egotistical?"

"Well, you look like the type of person that spends more time in front of a mirror than anything else." CJ teased.

Archer sighed and looked down, not replying for at least a minute. "You're most definitely wrong about me in that aspect."

"Says you, maybe not the most reliable source." CJ pointed out.

"Spend some more time with me, you'll see for yourself." Archer blurted out, before he realized what he had said and began blushing uncontrollably.

CJ similarly looked away for a second, her eyes having widened. "Ehm, no thanks… This freaking walk down the mountain is punishment enough."

This did make Archer laugh. "Glad to know you appreciate my company."

"What makes you think I do?" CJ asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, you've not killed me thus far." Archer joked, which made it even more surprising to him when a blush appeared on CJ's cheeks.

They spent the following hour largely in silence, safe for the occasional question of in which direction they would be heading or an inquiry from CJ if Archer could more accurately pinpoint where they were.

On that second note, Archer still did not have a clear idea. The altitude on which they currently found themselves could not be extremely high, given the lack of snow that was lying around. On the other hand, all Archer could see in nearly every direction was still mountain. There wasn't a forest, valley or any sign of human civilization that could help him in telling him where he and CJ had actually landed.

Despite everything, Archer did not despair that much. He had been trained from a young age to survive in the wild, a sentiment his father had picked up from Robin Hood which did now prove extremely helpful. He still had a few energy bars left and hoped, against better knowledge, that as they moved lower, he and CJ could maybe find berries or other fruit that could help against the hunger. As for water, the melting snow made sure they had no shortage of that.

If not for the fact that they were currently at war and he didn't know how his friends had fared after the battle, he might have actually enjoyed this time with CJ. Sure, she could be loud, obnoxious and terribly annoying, but otherwise Archer couldn't remember the last time he had laughed this much.

CJ seemed to have realized, just like Archer, that in their current situation there wasn't any need nor use for them to argue, and thus they mostly used their time to not quibble about their conflict, but instead taking a breather.

"Are you tired yet?" CJ eventually asked several hours after they'd started off.

"No, are you?" Archer lied, he did indeed feel a small stab of pain in his side from the exertion.

"No." CJ replied, though Archer unmistakably heard a small wheeze in her voice.

"We could stop for a moment if you want." Archer suggested.

"I'm fine, unless you want to stop?" CJ responded, acting casual.

"We could take a break?" Archer proposed.

"Fine." CJ shrugged, before immediately dropping down onto a large boulder. "How much food do we have left?"

"Only four bars." Archer answered as he rooted through his back pocket before sitting down opposite CJ.

"That's not much." CJ said semi-fearfully.

"It's enough, it has to be." Archer mumbled as he looked around.

"Any idea where we are yet?" CJ asked.

Archer shook his head. "No, but if we keep heading south, we should eventually reach some sort of civilization."

"Fun." CJ murmured, beginning to braid her hair again.

"Do you have any idea of what you're gonna do yet? Once we get back, I mean." Archer inquired hesitantly.

"No." CJ answered short and to the point.

"Have you given it any thought?" Archer went on.

"It's all I've been thinking about!" CJ spat, obviously annoyed.

"Sorry, I thought I'd just ask… Maybe I could help…" Archer offered.

"How!?" CJ scoffed. "How would you all of people know what I'm going through!?"

"I don't." Archer confessed. "But I could still, you know, offer some guidance or whatever."

"Oh, guidance from the blessed Archer, I am truly saved." CJ sarcastically exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

"Very funny, but I'm not the one in trouble here." Archer retorted, crossing his arms.

CJ's look soured. "Look, I have no freaking idea, alright! And by the way, I still don't know if I can trust you."

"After I sacrificed my snacks to feed you? I am offended." Archer quipped, putting a hand to his heart.

"I'm not kidding." CJ replied in all earnest. "If we reach the bottom of the mountain and you spring a trap to throw me in prison, I will not hesitate to fight you."

"And I wouldn't blame you, but I promise I will do no such thing." Archer assured her.

"What's your deal, man?" CJ asked, squinting her eyes a little. "I am your enemy and yet you don't even dare to raise a hand against me."

"If given the chance, I prefer using my words to stop people from causing others harm, it suits my ego." Archer grinned.

"Words, eh?" CJ smirked. "Very well, let's hear some of that famous guidance of yours."

"Sure, ehm, you said that you did not feel the particular urge to return to your villain friends, right?" Archer began.

"They're not my friends." CJ mumbled.

"Exactly. Well… Your options already run thin then… You could go back to the isle…" Archer suggested.

"My sister is there. She hates me, remember?" CJ grumpily muttered.

"Right… You could, ehm… You could wander into the wilderness… I'm not sure how much you'd like that though…" Archer shrugged.

"It's not like I could to much else." CJ spat. "There's nowhere for me to go."

"There is an option still left open for you." Archer said as he stood up.

"And what's that?" CJ asked, her nonchalant demeanor not completely masking the genuine interest in her voice.

"Come back with me… To Auradon…" Archer suggested with a smile.

CJ looked up at Archer as if she thought she hadn't heard him right. "Are you completely mental!? Why would I voluntarily let myself get locked up in prison!?"

"Hey, I didn't say anything about prison!" Archer pointed out. "I said you should come to Auradon."

"Very funny." CJ scoffed, picking up a pebble and tossing it at Archer.

"Woah, I'm serious!" Archer replied, raising his arms in protection.

"In that case you are actually an idiot." CJ went on, throwing more pebbles in Archer's direction.

"Hey! No! Stop!" Archer yelled, shielding himself. "I mean it! I mean, it's an option!"

"Me? Going to Auradon and not getting locked away?" CJ questioned, momentarily taking a break from besieging Archer.

"Yes!" Archer answered, obviously agitated.

"Impossible!" CJ sneered. "I mean, how would that even work?"

"Y-you come back with me…" Archer explained, slowly lowering his arms. "I'm sure that… That something can be worked out…"

"Yeah right!?" CJ exclaimed. "Why would you even consider that? Why would you want me in Auradon?"

"For one, because that would mean one less villain to fight." Archer began. "Second, because from what I can tell… Y-you're not that bad, CJ…"

CJ threw another pebble at Archer, hitting him on the nose. "You have no idea who I am!" She snapped.

Archer, who had grabbed at his nose in pain, looked back at her angrily. "Okay, ow! Why are you fussing about this so much!? What is the better alternative!?"

"Anything would be better than getting stuck in an Auradon prison!" CJ spat before picking up another pebble.

"No!" Archer yelled as he jumped forward and snatched CJ's wrist. "I already told you, you won't end up in prison!"

"Let go!" CJ grunted as she pulled on her arm.

Archer did so and stepped back a little. "Will you at least listen to what I have to say?"

"Why? When what you're saying is as nonsensical as a children's fairytale?" CJ retorted.

"It doesn't have to be, if you just listen!" Archer sighed.

"Why would I even want to go to Auradon!? In case you don't know, I'm not exactly popular out there!" CJ snapped.

"Well… I mean, that can change, right? You're not the first villain kid to come to Auradon." Archer suggested.

"I'm guessing the others didn't invade your precious country though!" CJ sneered.

"Yeah, they didn't…" Archer admitted. "B-but that doesn't mean there would absolutely be no place or you."

"I don't want to go to Auradon! Get that through your thick skull!" CJ screamed.

"Well, what else are you gonna do!?" Archer yelled back. "Go back to the others? Will they welcome you back with open arms? Or… Or you could just starve in the wilderness!? That's fun, right? Or should I have you sent back to the isle? Don't you wanna see your sister again?"

CJ stared daggers at Archer. "Bastard…" She mumbled.

"I'm just saying… I-I want what's best for you…" Archer sighed. "I want to help you… This is the best way to help you…"

"By pulling me down into that hole of snakes?" CJ questioned.

"They're not snakes… They're the people who would actually help you if you showed them kindness." Archer told her.

"Please…" CJ scoffed. "I know you're with Mal, so please excuse me if I doubt that you are surrounded by kind and helpful people."

"Mal told me about you, you know?" Archer said, causing CJ's eyes to widen out of curiosity. "She said that you two constantly clashed on the isle and that you were a royal pain in the ass."

CJ smirked for a second before her look turned sour. "That's putting it mildly, but don't you dare think for a second that Mal is just the victim in all of this!"

"What happened between you two?" Archer asked, genuinely interested.

"None of your goddamn business! If you want to know so badly, why not ask little miss perfect herself!?" CJ scoffed before standing up and walking off.

"You're heading in the wrong direction!" Archer called after her before standing up himself and heading the right way.

It took barely a minute before CJ had caught up with him, but neither of them spoke much for almost an hour as the mountain terrain with its large boulders gave way for a valley in between two mountains with ground covered in rocks and pebbles.

Both Archer and CJ constantly slipped and subsequently created small avalanches of rocks that tumbled down to the base of the mountain. Eventually, the terrain became too steep and slippery, forcing them to track back a little in order to find a more even path to get around the mountain.

Once they reached a higher, but more even part of the mountain, they suddenly found themselves at the edge of a large cliff. Archer's breath got stuck in his throat as they reached the edge and were able to stare down hundreds of feet into a large ravine.

Archer stumbled back a few paces, audibly breathing out.

"What's gotten into you?" CJ asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I, ehm… H-high…" Archer muttered, pointing at the cliff. "V-very high…"

CJ's expression changed into one of surprise and amusement. "You're afraid of heights!? No way!"

"It's really not funny!" Archer snapped, not tearing his eyes away from the steep fall in front of him.

"It kinda is." CJ grinned. "You didn't really seem like the type to be afraid of anything, let alone heights."

"Yeah, weird I wouldn't brag about that, huh?" Archer sneered, trying to steady his breathing.

"Haha, so what is it?" CJ asked as she moved a little closer to Archer. "You just afraid of falling down or something?"

"I don't know, I just don't like it…" Archer mumbled, beginning to carefully walk the path along the cliff.

"You fell down one of your castle towers when you were little or what?" CJ joked, happily skipping alongside him.

"Yes." Archer simply answered.

CJ's eyes widened and she stopped her skipping. "What? For real?"

Archer nodded. "When I was eight. The highest tower was being renovated and me and some friends wanted to check it out. One thing lead to another and we dared each other to climb the battlements. I fell…"

CJ looked genuinely sorry. "Were you, ehm… Were you wounded?"

"I was lucky." Archer replied. "Some trees and haybales broke my fall. Pretty much every part of me was bruised, I got a large concussion and a broken shoulder, but otherwise I shouldn't complain. After that, I never really felt the same."

CJ snorted loudly.

"What?" Archer asked.

"On the isle, wounds like that aren't that spectacular. If I developed a phobia every time I got a concussion I wouldn't be able to leave my house at this point." CJ shrugged.

"That's really not something to boast about." Archer retorted. "And you aren't afraid of anything?"

"Not in the way you cower when you're standing on something over ten feet." CJ snickered.

"I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't joke about it." Archer sighed.

"Too bad." CJ laughed as she skipped past Archer and went on to walk right across the edge of the cliff. "Haha, look at me!"

"Oh my god, could you not!?" Archer exclaimed, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up in unease.

"Why? Afraid I might tumble to my death?" CJ asked with a smile as she expertly balanced herself, acting as though she was almost falling off.

"You've made your point." Archer sighed as he walked on, staying as far away from the edge as possible.

"If my point is to make you feel uneasy, then no, I'm not nearly done." CJ went on, performing a few twirls as she jumped alongside Archer.

"Then don't come crying to me for help when you fall." Archer sneered, keeping his eyes on the path.

"Oh no, what would I do without my knight in shining armor?" CJ pouted mockingly, making Archer both sigh and blush again.

"You'll just make do I guess." He replied.

Their journey continued in this fashion for about an hour in which Archer didn't even dare glance at his side. CJ meanwhile happily continued to torment him, often acting as though she was about to fall down the cliff or commenting on the nice view. All in all, she really made Archer reevaluate his choice to try to get her into Auradon.

He had been serious when he offered to take her with him. Partly because he did see it as an opportunity to severely weaken their enemy by taking away one of their admittedly best fighters. Secondly, he wanted to try because it felt right.

CJ had opened up to him about life on the isle and with the rest of the villains, and Archer couldn't help but feel for her. She had spoken in a way as if she wasn't sure how it felt to be happy anymore, and Archer did always try his best to help people, even those who had literally stabbed him in the leg.

He understood her convictions though to a certain point. He didn't know all the details of her history with Mal, but if the way either of the two girls spoke of one another was any indication, he didn't find it hard to believe they would rather not see each other again.

Lost in his thoughts, it came pretty sudden to Archer when he and CJ suddenly stumbled upon a literal crack in the road.

"Well, shit." CJ commented, looking at the gaping hole in the mountain's path in front of them, which had obviously been wiped out by a large avalanche.

Archer didn't look too long, as the hole gave an unobstructed view of the ravine, which was hundreds of feet below them.

"There's still a ledge, we could shuffle along it." CJ pointed out, gesturing at a miniscule piece of even ground still present.

"No way…" Archer shook his head, sweat already beginning to drip down his brow.

"It's either that or our entire walk for today has been fruitless." CJ sneered. "Man up and follow me!"

"I, ehm… N-no… No! I can't… I can't…" Archer stammered, stepping back.

"Come on!" CJ whined. "You have to!"

"Shut up!" Archer fell out at her. "I am afraid! I can't do this! T-this…"

CJ sighed. "Okay, look… I'm sorry, alright? I apologize and all that for teasing you. I know it's not fun, but we need to make this cross."

"We'll die." Archer said to the point.

"Not if we survive, now come on! Don't make me say it again!" CJ warned.

Archer was still unsure, and he kept glancing uneasily towards the edge of the cliff.

"Tell you what…" CJ began after a few seconds. "If you stop being pussy and make this climb, I'll tell you my real name."

Archer looked at her perplexed, not only because of the proposition, but also because of her determination to get him across.

"I don't know…" Archer began with a vague smile. "Villain kids are often not the best with promises…"

"Villain's promise." CJ snickered before spitting on the ground.

"You're serious?" Archer grinned. "I thought that your name was not something you ever intended me to find out?"

"Now you understand how much I want to get out of this place." CJ said, gesturing to the mountains. "Now stop wasting time and get a move on, pansy."

"Bossy." Archer sneered, but he did approach the gap a little.

"I'll show you how it's done, and then you can just follow me, okay?" CJ offered.

"Don't die." Archer simply commented.

"If I do, my ghost will haunt you til the end of times." CJ joked before taking the first step across the narrow ledge.

The remainder of the path was so narrow, that CJ was forced to place her feet along it in order not to fall off. Archer was involuntarily impressed how she managed to keep her balance with her high-heeled boots, but it was obvious that this was far from CJ's first climb.

"See? Easy peasy." CJ smiled as she momentarily looked back at him.

Archer felt a small twitch in his stomach and his heart felt as though it skipped a beat. Yet, Archer didn't think it had anything to do with his fear, but more with the way CJ's golden-brown eyes twinkled playfully.

Hesitantly, he put one foot on the ledge to test its strength, only for a few small pebbles to immediately loosen and tumble down.

"Doesn't seem safe…" He mumbled, just loud enough for CJ to hear.

"It's perfectly safe, look at me!" CJ said as she stamped the ledge below her a little.

"Oh my god, please don't do that." Archer pleaded, hastily stepping back.

"Archer, you can't spend the rest of your life cowering in fear like this! Especially when there's absolutely nothing to… Aaaahh!" CJ suddenly screamed.

Archer turned around lighting fast to see a piece of rock slip out underneath CJ's foot and rapidly fall down the cliff. CJ, who had tried in vain to hang onto something above her, slipped and slid down before managing the clung to the very ledge she had previously stood on.

"Help! Archer! Help! Help!" She shrieked in panic, her legs kicking below her as she hopelessly tried to regain her footing.

Archer's eyes widened in panic as he simply stared at first, his limbs not responding. His hands trembled, and the ground far below him appeared to only distance itself more. He felt his breathing quicken, his thoughts buzzing and storming like a swarm of angry bees, really all the signs of a classic panic attack.

CJ meanwhile, kept hanging on for dear life, trying to clamber back up by scraping her boots against the rough, rocky surface of the cliff. More and more small rocks fell down due to CJ's struggling, creating a small avalanche in the process.

"Archer! Please!" CJ begged, her grip on the ledge lessening every second.

"O-okay… Okay!" Archer mumbled, trying to snap out of his stupor.

Carefully, he again placed one foot on the ledge, tested his footing and finally took the second step. He now stood flush against the mountainside, his hands feverishly clinging to whatever grip he could find. He felt the almost irresistible pull trying to make him fall backwards and closed his eyes to protect himself from the sickening abyss underneath him.

"Archer! I-I'm slipping…" CJ grunted, still kicking out with her legs to try and get herself back up.

Archer had yet to move from his stationary position on the ledge, but at the moment he was sort of compromised due to being paralyzed by fear. Images went through his head at a lightning pace, making him feel disorientated and dizzy. The voices of his parents, Lance and Ben all spooked through his mind, either speaking comforting words or yelling panicked warnings. Archer loudly breathed in and out, a soft voice in the back of his head shouting at him to get a move on already! For god's sake, there was someone in danger! Someone he really didn't want to see in danger!

Archer looked up and saw CJ grasp at the ledge with basically just the tips of her fingers, her tear-filled eyes staring at him in complete distress. At that point, it was as if a fire was lit in his chest and a calm feeling spread throughout his body as he confidently placed one foot in front of the other and moved along the ledge.

CJ's eyes spoke a thousand words of gratitude as Archer approached her, eventually stopping right in front of the place she was still hanging. Archer tried to brace himself as best he could by tightly grabbing onto the nearest steady rock with his left hand and sticking out his right towards CJ. He took a tight hold of her left sleeve, making sure there was no way he would release her. CJ saw his intentions and readied herself before letting go with her right hand and tightly grabbing onto Archer's arm. CJ was lucky that she didn't weigh a lot, as Archer was able to hoist her up relatively easily before she was able to place her feet on the ledge again and find her footing.

Both Archer and CJ breathed out loudly in a clear sense of gratitude, taking a few minutes to regain their cool before moving the final few feet to the end of the ledge and the far steadier surface of the regular path. CJ had not released Archer's arm, which she squeezed tightly with her left hand. When they did finally reach safety, CJ let herself fall down, taking Archer with her.

He landed awkwardly on top of her, having to brace himself with both arms on either side of her head. He uncomfortably noticed in what close proximity they were to each other, with his head really only a few inches above hers.

"Y-you okay?" Archer mumbled, his breathing still irregular.

CJ just nodded, a single tear escaping her eye and dripping down her cheek.

"That, ehm… That was quite something…" Archer went on, not sure where to focus on with his eyes. He couldn't help but notice that CJ didn't look away from his.

"Sure was…" CJ practically whispered.

"I, ehm… I t-told you, didn't I?" Archer asked with a hint of sass as he rolled off of CJ and laid next to her on his back.

"Hmm, I guess you had your reasons to be afraid." CJ smirked, though a tremble was still audible in her voice.

"Who knows? Maybe I can climb trees again now." Archer grinned, closing his eyes for a second.

"Thank you." CJ said in a clear tone, making Archer look back at her.

Her face and her gold-brown eyes were not two feet away from his as they took a few minutes to regain their composure.

"It was nothing…" Archer mumbled, starting to blush.

"Oh, it wasn't nothing." CJ replied, her trademark smirk returning somewhat.

"It could've happened to anyone really." Archer shrugged.

"Still." CJ remarked as she scrambled back up before offering Archer a hand, which he took.

"Just… No more of that…" Archer commented, gesturing at the ledge.

CJ giggled a little, her hands playing with her braid. "Calista." She eventually said.

"What?" Archer asked, profoundly confused.

"Calista Jane Hook. That's my name." CJ explained before sweeping her braid over her shoulder and walking off, leaving a thoughtful, but remarkably satisfied Archer.

The rest of the journey for the day was spent largely in silence, but that didn't mean it was uncomfortable. Both CJ and Archer kept sneaking glances at each other and grinned broadly whenever they caught the other doing so.

Right when the sun began to set a little and Archer and CJ had made it around a smaller mountain, they were suddenly confronted with a large forest stretching for miles in front of them.

"Finally." CJ sighed, her eyes widening as she took in the forest.

Archer could only slowly breathe in and out, feeling as sense of satisfaction knowing that their journey would come to an end. Far to their right, the vague outline of a town was visible.

"What's that?" CJ asked.

"Lone Keep if I'm correct, which would mean we're pretty damn far from Auradon City." Archer sighed.

"Do you know the people there?" CJ went on.

"Yeah, vaguely. My father's lands are nearby so there have been a lot of talks on territory and commerce and what not." Archer explained.

"Jeez, that got boring real quick." CJ scoffed before beginning the final descent down the mountain.

"We won't reach it before nightfall. It's probably wiser to set up camp somewhere nearby and head out tomorrow." Archer proposed.

"If you say so." CJ replied disinterested as they reached the tree line.

"CJ?" Archer began.

"Hmm?" CJ responded, not looking back.

"We're out of the mountains…" Archer said, letting his voice linger.

CJ stiffened a bit but kept on walking, not responding to him.

"You need to make a choice…" Archer sighed, speeding up a little to try and catch up to her.

"I know that." CJ softly replied, crossing her arms.

"My offer still stands." Archer shrugged, trying to keep his tone impartial. "Your life could be something besides misery."

"Like Auradon wouldn't make me miserable." CJ scoffed.

"As far as I know, everyone who has come over from the isle has enjoyed their time here." Archer argued.

"They came here voluntarily, I had no choice!" CJ hissed. "There's no place in the world I belong at the moment… You have no idea how that feels…"

"I don't." Archer admitted. "Because I live in Auradon. CJ, it's a magical place where everyone can fit in! You don't have to be alone… I mean, Freddie is there… A-and me…"

"And Mal." CJ sneered, though Archer couldn't help but notice she looked touched by his words.

"Can you… I-is there no chance you two can, like, bury the hatchet?" Archer suggested.

CJ turned around and looked at him furiously. "If you only knew half of what happened between us, you wouldn't ask that question!"

"You're right, I don't know what happened between you two." Archer retorted. "And you keep yapping on about it without offering me any sort of explanation! So, excuse me if I can't really imagine what you're going through."

"Mal would never let me stay." CJ spoke bitterly. "She has all the power now and would definitely not hesitate to either send me back to the isle or just behead me on the spot."

"A little harsh maybe?" Archer cringed. "B-but I can talk to Mal… CJ, I know her… I know Ben… They're not cruel people… They'll listen if you explain your case a-and I'll support you."

"It's not enough!" CJ exclaimed, finally seeming desperate. "No matter what I do… What I say… I can't let go and neither can Mal…"

"You must try!" Archer practically commanded. "What's the alternative? CJ, look, imagine you could get in, think of all the good things that could happen to you…"

CJ's eyed widened, as if she had completely forgot how it felt to imagine a brighter future.

"You could go to school… Get a job… Make new friends… You'll never have to fear for your life or steal to survive… You could thrive, CJ…" Archer went on.

CJ looked away, and Archer thought, though he could have imagined, that he saw tears sparkling in her eyes.

"You don't have to be alone, you know?" Archer sighed. "You don't have to be miserable… You are so much more than that… Think about it… Would getting all that be worth forgiving Mal? And who knows, maybe she'll also forgive you…"

"Fat chance." CJ snorted, a slight smirk appearing on her face.

"Please consider it." Archer practically begged.

"Why do you want this so badly?" CJ suddenly asked. "And don't give me that earlier bullshit! Why do you want me to come to Auradon?"

Archer bit his lip. "I like to help people, really everyone who asks for it…"

"But I'm not asking for it." CJ snapped.

"No, but that doesn't mean you don't need it. I care about you, CJ. Let me help you…" Archer blushed as soon as the words left him, and CJ similarly looked flustered.

"Y-you… You c-care…" CJ stammered, looking perplexed.

Archer just uncomfortably rubbed his hands, only now noticing that he and CJ had stopped walking.

CJ seemed to contemplate things in her head, her eyes flashing from side to side. Archer didn't dare add anything to the conversation at the moment, the tension causing his heart to thump audibly in his chest. He felt as though he had said his part and now all he could do was hope it had been enough.

"You can promise that I won't, ehm, get locked up?" CJ asked hesitantly.

Archer looked up quickly. "Yes! Well… I can promise I'll try my absolute hardest… I know what you've been through… I want you to be happy… Please believe me!"

"I do." CJ meekly answered. "B-but I can't… I-I'm finding it hard…"

"Hard to trust me?" Archer nodded. "I don't blame you… But… I did save your life back there. I mean, what else do I have to do?"

CJ smirked. "It's not you I'm doubting though… Not anymore…"

Archer blushed hopelessly. "Well… Thanks…"

"Okay…" CJ said after a short break. "Okay…"

"What?" Archer asked.

"Take me with you… Do your 'thing'… I've got nothing to lose…" CJ told him.

Archer grinned broadly. "You're serious?"

"Do know that this is pretty much the scariest thing I've ever done!" CJ pointed out. "If you fail you will break my heart forever!"

"We wouldn't want that…" Archer smirked, rubbing his hands as he stared at CJ.

No more words were exchanged as they set off again, but a feeling of pure satisfaction and euphoria was awakened in Archer, causing a perpetual smile on his face. This was certainly something he hadn't expected, but boy did it feel good.


	32. Chapter 32: Together

**A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 32: Together

"Ben?" A voice softly asked after a few knocks on the door.

Ben didn't answer, nor did he ask who it was. He had recognized Lance's voice, but at the moment his mind was shut down to such a degree he couldn't bring himself to really do anything.

He felt empty and cold, as if an important piece of him had violently been ripped out of his body. His thoughts ran wild with cursing and confused yelling, as if he had completely lost his way and did not yet know how to get back on the path. He was filled with a certain internal rage, but at the same time felt so dejected he couldn't act on his urges. He felt anger, sadness, betrayal, pain… All the negative emotions bundled together to make him the most miserable he had ever felt.

He recalled other times he had felt sad or brought down. When his grandfather had passed away… When he had once disappointed his father by completely bottling a royal agreement with another kingdom… When Mal had returned from the isle on a stretcher, barely clutching to life…

Ooh, Mal… How had they let this get this far? How had they gone from the most in-love couple in the world, on the verge of marriage, to this? How and why could everything have gone so wrong?

The door opened slowly, squeaking all the while, and Ben saw two pairs of feet enter.

"Ben? Jesus…" Aden mumbled as he limped into his office with one leg covered in bandages.

"What, ehm… What happened?" Lancelot asked, uncomfortably rubbing his hands.

"We… We saw Mal just now…" Aden began. "She was crying, Ben… Did you… What, ehm…"

"We broke up." Ben replied, sounding as if he had just emerged from the grave.

"Ooh…" Aden exhaled, visibly taken aback.

"Like, completely?" Lance hesitantly asked. "Or just the engagement?"

"I think completely…" Ben answered, a painfully heavy weight pushing down on his heart.

"Damn…" Aden mumbled as he limped over to Ben and softly patted him on the back. "Is there, ehm… D-do you want us to leave?"

"We can't!" Lancelot snapped in a sharp tone. "Sorry Ben, but we need to discuss something with you."

"Dude!" Aden hissed. "Look at him!"

"This can't wait, you know that as well as I do!" Lancelot retorted.

"He's obviously hurt!" Aden nearly yelled.

"And he will probably remain that way, but someone needs our help!" Lancelot pointed out.

"He can't…" Aden began.

"Enough!" Ben shouted, feeling as though a vein was about to burst. "What is it, Lance!? I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be of much help at the moment…"

"Archer is missing." Lance replied, short and to the point.

"What!?" Ben exclaimed, feeling as though his stomach sank even lower than it had already done.

"Archer… He's missing…" Lancelot repeated. "We thought that he was with you."

"And we thought he was just here, with everyone else." Aden jumped in.

"We were both wrong… We never even considered that you may have been incorrectly teleported to different places…" Lancelot sighed.

Ben was now certain that he had reached rock-bottom. Simply because he had previously already thought so, but somehow now felt even worse.

"Really? A-are you serious?" Ben asked, sounding crestfallen.

"I wouldn't joke about this…" Lancelot admitted.

Ben leaned back against his seat, feeling as though both his head and his heart were about to burst.

"I asked Royce and Alex to join us." Lancelot said. "They should be here shortly."

"This was before we knew, ehm, what had happened…" Aden spoke slowly.

"We need to find him, Ben." Lancelot urged, placing his palms on the desk.

"Lance… I really am in no condition to do any of this…" Ben mumbled, suddenly aware of the growing pain in his chest.

"Told you." Aden jumped in.

"You are king!" Lancelot retorted, paying Aden no mind. "Sorry, but it really doesn't matter what condition you're in when matters this grave are in play."

"Lance, he deserves a break…" Aden proposed.

"Not until we resolve our matters!" Lancelot hissed.

"Let him be!" Aden shouted.

"He is king!" Lancelot yelled.

"I am also just human!" Ben thundered, shutting both up. "Lance, I-I know this is probably hard for you… B-but right now… Right now, I feel like I'm being torn apart from the inside! I-I really need you to leave…"

"We understand." Aden nodded.

"No." Lancelot stubbornly refused.

"Lance!" Aden urged.

"This is too important!" Lancelot raged. "We can't let simple feelings get in the way!"

"S-simple feelings!?" Ben stammered.

"You know what I mean!" Lance snapped. "But Ben, if Archer is in danger then we have no time to spare."

Ben put his hands in his hair, putting a lot of effort into simply not screaming out in anguish. He had suffered through so much emotional turmoil this past hour that he wasn't sure how he was still able to function.

"I really can't care much at the moment." Ben groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose, realizing how disinterested he sounded.

"Ben! It's Archer!" Lancelot retorted, slowly going red with anger.

"I know it's Archer! Which is why I know he's fine!" Ben spat.

"He could be god knows where!" Lancelot shouted.

"What would you have me do, Lance?" Ben asked, his hands trembling. "I don't have a clue how to just pinpoint someone… If anything, I would have gone to you… You can't trace him?"

"I can only trace magic wielders or strong surges of magic, Archer doesn't fall within that category." Lancelot explained.

"Then we're at a loss." Ben sighed. "We can only wait for him to contact us."

"No! Not doing that again!" Lancelot clarified. "It was horrible enough when it was you, Aden and the others, but Archer is alone! As skilled as he is, he could be in danger!"

"But we can't help him!" Aden jumped in. "You said so yourself, there's no way of tracking him. You only found us after we called in from Eden, we have no choice but to do the same with Archer."

"We leave him to his fate, is that it?" Lancelot growled.

"I didn't say I like it." Aden shrugged.

Right at that moment, before Lancelot wanted to respond, a short knock on the door was immediately followed by two people entering. Royce, still with a cast around his ankle, and Alex stormed into the room.

"Haha, yes!" Royce called out as he spotted Aden and Ben. "Look at us, totally matching!" He followed up, gesturing at the similar bandages around him and Aden's legs.

"Good to see you're okay." Alex mumbled, patting Aden on the back before throwing a doubtful glance at Ben.

"He wasn't too annoying on your trip, was he?" Royce asked as he patted Aden on the shoulder. "Was he, Ben?"

"Guys!" Aden hissed. "Not a good time…"

"W-what?" Royce exclaimed, confused.

"What's going on?" Alex asked as he sat down on the nearest couch and studied Ben's somber face.

"He and Mal broke up…" Aden softly answered.

Both Alex and Royce whipped around to look at Aden before looking back at Ben, who had put his hands in his head.

"For real?" Alex asked, seemingly in shock.

"No… No way…" Royce stammered.

The way Ben didn't dispute this fact and simply kept up his somber and tired posture was probably enough to convince them that Aden was telling the truth.

"How? How did this happen?" Alex sincerely questioned.

"We had a fight…" Ben mumbled in a gravely voice.

"About what?" Royce jumped in, also seeming interested.

"This… The war… Her going out on her own…" Ben explained.

"Ooh…" Royce groaned uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry." Alex muttered.

"Guys…" Ben began. "I would really appreciate it if you'd leave me alone now…"

"Yes, come on!" Aden replied, throwing Lancelot a glare.

"We still have Archer to discuss." Lancelot sternly announced.

"Where is he?" Royce asked, looking around as if he had somehow not noticed him.

"Gone… Incorrectly located at the same time as Ben and the others, but to a different location." Lancelot explained.

"What!?" Both Alex and Royce yelled.

"He's out there!? All alone!?" Alex exclaimed.

"Exactly." Lancelot nodded.

"We need to find him! How do we find him!?" Royce added.

"We don't know!" Aden snapped. "Look, Lance told me about how you spent your time searching for us. I don't see how we could do anything else but that, but I don't expect we'll get any results."

"We didn't find shit when we were looking for you guys." Royce acknowledged, nodding at Aden and Ben. "But shit, is he out there by himself?"

"No one else is missing, so yeah." Lancelot answered.

"Fuck." Royce mumbled.

"He'll make it though." Alex tried to reassure. "This is Archer we're talking about, he'll find his way back just like you guys did."

"I would very much not like to let Archer's life depend on chance." Lancelot grunted.

"Do we have a choice?" Royce asked. "What do you suggest, Lance?"

This question silenced Lancelot, who opened his mouth before closing it again and looking thoughtfully at the floor.

"We tried everything when we looked for Ben, we can continue but I fear we will not garner much results." Alex admitted.

"So, you're just giving up on him!?" Lancelot fell out.

"You're overreacting!" Alex retorted. "We want Archer back, of course we do! B-but what would you have us do? Do you want us to meticulously scan every square inch of the kingdom? What we previously did for Ben is all we could optionally do for Archer…"

"There has to be something!" Lancelot grunted. "Something we overlooked."

"Then let's look into ways to search for him." Aden offered. "But Ben has been through enough, there is only so much he can do…"

Ben felt a surge of anger hearing them all discuss him as if he wasn't in the room, but he still felt so dejected that he couldn't bring himself to rebuttal.

Lancelot gave Ben a sideways glance before turning towards the others again. "Fine, but I will need your complete cooperation."

"We want Archer back just as much as you do, so chill out." Royce rolled his eyes.

"Once Archer's back safe and sound I'll chill, until then you'll simply have to excuse my behavior." Lancelot snorted.

"Like we don't do that on the daily." Aden rolled his eyes.

"Let's just repeat the procedure. We look online and contact people we know and you look for more spells to maybe locate Archer." Alex offered.

Lancelot mumbled some undoubtable unpleasantries under his breath, but did not rebuttal.

"We can only hope that we'll be lucky this time, or that we may get different results." Royce added. "Come on, let's go."

Everyone except Lancelot patted Ben on his shoulder one more time before they headed to the door. Right when Alex placed his hand on the handle, someone knocked. Somewhat flabbergasted, Alex opened up to reveal Adam, who seemed similarly perplexed when he looked into the room.

"Oh, sorry boys, am I interrupting something?" Adam asked in a friendly way.

"We were just leaving." Alex answered with a slight bow.

"Don't let me stop you." Adam replied, stepping away to let the others through.

After everyone left, each nodding politely to Adam, the former king stepped into Ben's office and softly closed the door behind him.

Adam sighed as he approached Ben and sat down in the chair opposite his desk. "We have some things we need to discuss I'm afraid."

"Like what?" Ben answered, not looking up.

"Well for one, I just received an incredibly unpleasant and thorough message from Arthur of Camelot, who demands to know why his son is still missing." Adam began. "But I fear we may need to talk about you and Mal first."

"What do you know?" Ben grumbled.

"Your mother and I ran into Mal just now, she was crying, Ben… Your mother accompanied her and Evie to her old room and I was sent to talk to you." Adam continued, lacing his fingers.

Ben didn't give any indication that he had even heard his father's words, but didn't discourage him from talking either.

"She said you broke up, or, that's what we managed to decipher at least…" Adam hesitantly went on, the words obviously paining him.

Ben softly nodded, the uncomfortable twisting feeling in his stomach returning as he replayed the events of the past hour.

"I'm sorry for that, son… I truly am…" Adam said heartfelt. "What, ehm… What happened? Why did you, ehm, do it?"

"We had a fight…" Ben answered. "We talked about the war… We talked about her decision… Then, ehm, there was yelling…"

"I understand…" Adam nodded. "You must know that your mother and me are very saddened by these events. Ben… We have grown to care for Mal like she was our own…"

"I'm not happy about it!" Ben suddenly exclaimed. "I thought I would, ehm, feel different… B-but I only feel pain… I feel so empty… S-so hurt… A-as if I-I…"

Ben let his emotions fly and finally burst into tears, putting his hands in his face as sobs wrecked his body. Adam stood up, moved over to Ben and pulled him into a strong hug. They stayed like that for some time, with Ben simply crying against his father's chest as he in turn patted him on the back.

"Son…" Adam eventually began. "I-I don't know what happened precisely… But seeing you like this… I'm quite sure you may not have made the right decision…"

"I know!" Ben suddenly called out, the tremors disappearing from his voice. "I never wanted… This! I d-don't want to leave Mal… I-I love her!"

"Then don't give up!" Adam growled sternly, suddenly very active, as he held his son at arm's length. "Ben, I know what it's like to be in a stressful marriage… Y-your mother and I have not always seen eye to eye either… We have had our problems…"

"How did you get through them? Were you ever in the wrong? Was she? H-how do you fix stuff like this?" Ben practically begged through tear-filled eyes.

"I-it's harder than that, son…" Adam sighed. "Every person is allowed their own opinion on certain matters… When concerning the kingdom, there often is no right or wrong…"

"Then it's just torture…" Ben groaned. "If there's no clear right or wrong, how do you know if what you're doing is right?"

"You listen to… I know this sounds cliché… You listen to your heart, Ben." Adam smiled. "I have watched you grow into the king you are now. You are wise, kind and selfless… Everything I had hoped you'd be… If there's one heart on this earth that could make the right decision in this case, it is yours."

Ben felt incredibly moved by his father's speech, but his tears finally stopped as a new, more hopeful feeling took over from his sadness.

"I can't make this decision for you." Adam admitted. "But… But you do seem incredibly unhappy with how things went and I… I can only say this… Go to her, Ben… You can fix this…"

"How?" Ben moped. "We said horrible things… I don't know how we'll ever be able to look each other in the eye…"

"If there's one thing we're famous for in Auradon it's forgiveness." Adam boasted. "And you especially. You and Mal… What you have is special, Ben… You are both so strong… You can get through this…"

"We broke up…" Ben sighed.

"No one ever said love came easy…" Beast confessed. "Especially when you're king… You are so young… You should be happily in love… I am truly sorry to have burdened you with all of this…"

"It's not your fault…" Ben sighed, grabbing his father by the shoulder. "It's this damn war… It's the people… It's…"

"Everything?" Adam finished, to which Ben nodded in reply.

"I always knew that Mal and I would, ehm, not get an easy-going or, ehm, relaxed love life… I've had to prepare myself for the worst possible outcomes… But now I believe that there is no way for me to prepare…" Ben went on.

"You and Mal are destined for great things." Adam said, seemingly beaming with pride. "I'm not saying your entire life should be hardship and misery, but no songs are made about the loves that come easy… No tales are written about times of peace…"

"You're saying I should let the craziness run its course?" Ben softly grinned.

"Well… I'd prefer things not to get to crazy…" Adam shrugged.

"With Mal I just can't be sure…" Ben sighed in reply.

"That might be true…" Adam acknowledged. "But you need to ask yourself if it would be worth it… Son, would you be able to take the crazy, the trouble, the mayhem you and Mal might cause if it meant that you could spend your life with her? Because if not, then you'll also need to find someone else…"

It was as if a shock went through Ben's body. Someone else? He hadn't even given the possibility of having to find someone else a thought! How could he, after all he had been through with Mal, find someone else? The thought of seeing someone other than Mal walk down the isle on his wedding day seemed absurd! Furthermore, he and Mal had spent so much time together ever since they had started dating and thinking of how life would be without her in it almost made him feel sick.

"No…" Ben stammered. "No, no, no… It's her! It's only her! It's always been her!"

Adam smiled broadly and pulled Ben into another hug. The realization of his words hit Ben fully now and it was as if his heart had suddenly began pounding twice as hard.

He loved Mal! She loved him! This… This breakup or whatever it was could not be the end of them. The panic and despair ebbed away from his mind and instead he was again fiercely committed to doing whatever he could to make everything right.

At that same moment, an immense feeling of shame and regret washed over him. How could he have been so stupid as to break up with Mal? How could he ever recover from the mistakes he'd made?

"Go tell her." Adam suddenly said as he released his son. "She needs to know."

"B-but… I mean… S-she should hate me by now…" Ben mumbled.

"Then let her scream at you…" Adam began. "Let her rage… Let her cry… But don't give up… Remember that it's the two of you together, always… Even now, it's the two of you against the problem, not against each other."

Ben pulled up his eyebrows. "Damn, dad… When did you become a motivational speaker?"

"Your mother gave me a very detailed list of instructions." Adam shrugged.

"That actually does explain a lot…" Ben sighed.

"Can you do this?" Adam asked, rubbing his hands nervously.

"Only one way to find out." Ben announced as he stood up. "But I will try my absolute hardest…"

* * *

"Mal! Mal! Sweetie, calm down…" Belle shushed as she placed Mal on the bed of what had formerly been her guest room.

Mal's breathing was still highly irregular and was interjected every once in a while by a string of wheezes and hiccups. Her mind was no better, as thoughts of pure despair and anguish overwhelmed her.

"M, please talk to us…" Evie pleaded as she moved to Mal's other side and softly grabbed her hand.

Mal's breathing steadied somewhat as she tightly squeezed her best friend's hand in a sign that she did hear her. Large tears still streamed out of her eyes and fell down her cheeks.

Ben… Ben… Ben… He was really all she could think about. How could they have let this go out of hand like this? How could they have broken up?

Mal closed her eyes as the pained memory of Ben breaking up with her again resurfaced. She had seen him angry, yes. She had seen him sad, yes. She had seen him stressful, scared, distraught and disappointed, but never as bad as this.

The decision must have pained him as well, seeing as how neither of them had been able to utter any words near the end without bursting into tears. The end? Was this really the end for them though? Were they not each other's true love, something they've had to prove numerous times already? How was it actually possible that they even could break up? After all they'd been through, how could they go on knowing they'd never again have what they had.

"Evie…" Mal eventually managed to mumble.

"Yes! M, we're right here for you…" Evie immediately responded, clutching Mal's hand with both of her own.

"I-I wanna go…" Mal stammered, wiping the tears off her face with her other hand.

"G-go?" Evie questioned. "Go where?"

"Just… Go away! I want to get out! Leave!" Mal exclaimed, feeling as though her heart was trying to claw its way out of her chest.

"Dear…" Belle mumbled, holding her hands over her mouth. "Sweetie, ehm, we can work this out…"

Mal looked up at the former queen with wide eyes and slowly shook her head.

It was as if this simple gesture acknowledged all the things that Belle dreaded and she immediately had to stifle a yelp. "What happened, dear?"

"We broke up…" Mal answered, the words causing her immense pain.

"No!" Evie suddenly said as she squeezed Mal's hand even more. "No! I refuse to believe it!"

"Evie…" Mal began, before she was again interrupted.

"No, M!" Evie practically screamed. "You and Ben are… Well, you and Ben! You can't break up! You just can't!"

"Why did you break up?" Belle asked, kneeling next to Mal and Evie and trying somewhat to keep a steady head in the conversation.

"W-we had a fight…" Mal slowly explained, focusing on her breathing in an attempt to stop the ever-present tremble in her voice.

"About what? About our fight against the villains?" Evie asked.

"Yes." Mal answered. "About that… And more… Much more…"

"I thought you worked things out… Before, ehm… Before the…" Evie stammered.

"Before I went off and almost got us killed." Mal whined.

"We got out…" Evie began. "I mean, eventually no one got, ehm…"

"I was being stupid, E!" Mal suddenly shouted. "You all warned me, Ben warned me! You said it was a trap and I didn't listen! God, why didn't I listen!?"

"Sweetie…" Belle whispered.

"I am so sorry, Belle." Mal pleaded. "People got hurt… Ben disappeared… H-he could have gotten hurt… Oh my god… I'm so sorry…"

Belle bit her lip, seemingly unsure of what to say next. Mal could imagine her troubles. On the one hand, she might love Mal like a daughter and wish to see her happy, but on the other hand, she must have realized that Mal needed to face some consequences for her actions.

"Well… Y-you wanted to help…" Belle offered, though she sounded far from sure. "A-and if I have to believe what everyone's been saying, ehm, t-then it is thanks to you everyone got out…"

"If it hadn't been for me, they would have never gone in." Mal complained. "And Archer's still missing… I-I screwed it up… I screwed it all up…"

"Did you tell Ben all this?" Evie hesitantly asked.

Mal nodded in reply, but did not look at Evie.

"T-then why did you break up?" Evie went on, sounding perplexed. "If you show regret I mean… Ben is the most forgiving person in the world… D-did he forgive you?"

"H-he wanted to…" Mal wailed, her emotions again almost getting the better of her. "But h-he also believed I should not just, ehm, walk away freely…"

"He wanted to see you punished?" Belle asked in a tone far icier than usual.

"No! Ben!? Never!" Evie exclaimed, looking at Mal with a shocked expression.

"He did…" Mal mumbled, her heart aching. "He said he had no choice…"

"Unbelievable!" Evie yelled. "After all you two have been through!? He wants to punish you for doing what you think is right!?"

"Evie, darling…" Belle spoke up. "You don't know how it is to rule… You can't just give friends or loved ones free passes to do what they want. Mal, sweetie, what you did… It was on all accounts highly illegal…"

"B-but Mal is queen, right?" Evie questioned.

"No one's above the law, Evie." Belle reprimanded as she straightened herself. "I apologize, but Ben has every reason to exact punishment."

"I never called him out for that." Mal lamented. "I know what I did was wrong and I'm prepared to face the consequences."

"Then what's the problem?" Evie asked.

"I'm guessing it wasn't easy on Ben that he had to reprimand you?" Belle sighed.

"It tore him apart." Mal whimpered. "He looked so… So defeated…"

"He loves you, sweetie." Belle said as she placed a hand on Mal's shoulder.

"And all I do is hurt him…" Mal wailed.

"No!" Evie shouted again. "You are good to him! You are, like, the most in-love couple in the world!"

Mal smirked for a second before tears began flowing again. "Not anymore…"

"Nonsense!" Evie raged on. "Are you saying you don't love him anymore?"

"Of course not!" Mal replied with a shocked expression. After all, she knew herself she could probably never fully let go of Ben.

"Then make things right, dammit!" Evie yelled, squeezing Mal's hand painfully.

"I don't know how…" Mal lamented.

"What were you precisely fighting about?" Belle asked.

Mal breathed in to calm herself down. "Ben, ehm, he wanted me to promise never to go out on, ehm, 'missions' like this again."

"Why would you ever want to go out on missions like this again!?" Evie questioned, seemingly perplexed.

"Not like this exactly…" Mal began. "B-but I can't with a right mind promise I will blindly go along with whatever Ben decides as king, especially decisions he makes without my input."

"But sweetie, that's not how your marriage will go." Belle tried to reassure her.

"How do you know?" Mal retorted, maybe a little more rude than intended. "These past months have so… So… So difficult! We barely see each other, a-and when we see each other we're just so… distant…"

"We're at war, sweetie." Belle murmured. "These are stressful times… You and Ben however… You are strong enough to work through this, I'm sure of it."

"Did you and Adam go through this?" Mal asked, looking up at Belle. "During the war… Did you have, ehm, a rough patch?"

Belle giggled lightly. "Oh dear, yes of course. Adam could become rather 'beastly', pardon the pun. The years of the war were extremely taxing, I won't lie to you… But afterwards… Afterwards we had a thriving kingdom and the most perfect son I could have imagined… If you would ask me if I would be willing to relive those tough times to get what I have now, I would do so without a doubt."

"You worked through things? Always?" Mal asked.

"We're still married, aren't we?" Belle smiled. "One thing I always told myself was that it was the two of us together against the problem instead of against one another. And, naturally, when you love someone, forgiveness comes easy."

"You should write a book." Mal smirked, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I'm serious though, sweetie." Belle encouraged her. "If you and Ben love each other, and I don't doubt that you do, then you can get through this."

"She's right!" Evie piped in. "Go to him, work things out and go get your happy ever after dammit!"

Mal giggled a little at Belle and Evie's enthusiastic reactions, but she also finally felt a bit of hope reignited in her chest.

"How though?" Mal questioned. "I-I want to make things right… I want… I want Ben… But I can't change who I am… Not again…"

"And we would never ask you to do so." Belle assured her.

"Ben said the same." Mal sighed. "But he also said that he hoped that some of my so-called 'isle qualities' would disappear over time."

"Isle qualities!?" Evie exclaimed. "What the hell does he mean by that?"

"I believe our tendency to not play by the rules." Mal shrugged.

"But those are our roots!" Evie shouted. "I never thought Ben would ask something so inconsiderate!"

"He didn't mean it like that, E." Mal groaned, only realizing that herself now. "We were both agitated… He just wanted to say that he would appreciate it if I would stop breaking his own laws."

"A fair request, I would say." Belle added.

"But Mal doesn't feel that way, do you?" Evie asked her.

"I don't know…" Mal mumbled. "I don't want to hurt Ben… B-but in cases like this… I-I just can't be sure if I'll agree with everything in the future… A-and I don't want to make promises I can't keep."

"You can promise to try." Belle offered.

"Not good enough for Ben." Mal answered, crestfallen. "He needed reassurance… H-he said he could not live in fear of me not agreeing with the law a-and acting out because of it…"

"Jeez, you are making this difficult." Evie muttered.

"Mal, sweetie…" Belle began, patting her on the thigh. "I'm sorry but I do agree with Ben on this one…"

Evie wanted to speak up but Mal shushed her, eager to hear whatever undoubtedly wise council Belle could give her.

"You are to be queen… Ben's queen… I'm sorry, but if you cannot abide by our laws then you can't be queen… If you can't be queen, then you can't be with Ben…" Belle went on.

Mal felt a sickening pit in her stomach as she stared at the floor. Belle might as well have doused her in cold water, the way she so casually told Mal the way things stood. She knew this of course. Ben was king and nothing would change that. If she wanted to spend her life with Ben, which she did, she would have to become his queen at one time or another. To do so, she might have to make some sacrifices.

"Belle…" Evie exhaled. "That's a little harsh, don't you think?"

"It's the sad truth." Belle replied. "I am so sorry that this is all so difficult, sweetie. You and Ben deserve so much more…" She then told Mal. "Take your time in making your decision, but with the war and everything… It'd be much appreciated if you could work things out."

"I know." Mal mumbled. She was immensely grateful for Belle, whose advice was always wise and the exact stimulant she felt like she needed right now. She did not want to break up with Ben! She did not want to abandon her position as queen! She wanted to help people! She would not sit idly by and watch her life get ruined, not if she could do anything about it!

"Do you want to be alone for a moment?" Belle then asked.

"No." Mal shook her head, more volume in her voice this time.

"What do you want then?" Evie asked.

"I need to see Ben!" Mal announced, feeling as though her eyes flared up from her determination.

"Yes!" Evie squealed, obviously delighted.

"Do you know what you're going to say?" Belle asked.

"No." Mal answered truthfully. "Not precisely, but I need to talk to him."

"Don't let us stop you then." Belle smiled as she stood up, followed by Evie.

Mal immediately headed to the door and almost ripped it out of its hinges when she pulled it open. Once in the hallway, she walked to her right and almost instantly froze when she saw Ben standing a little further.

Ben also seemed frozen mid-step, judging from the awkward position of his arms and the somewhat mindless expression on his face.

Behind her, Mal heard a soft yelp before the door was subsequently slammed shut, leaving her and Ben alone.

"Hey…" Ben began, taking the first step in her direction.

Mal didn't reply, but only repeated the same process.

"Mal…" Ben continued. "I-I'm so sorry… I don't know w-what… I-I s-should have never…" He rambled as he picked up his step.

Mal's mind was still in a state of somewhat sensory overload as she simply stared at Ben and simultaneously moved towards him at a faster pace. If she had thought that she would have been angry to see him again, or sad, or disappointed, she would have been wrong. She just wanted him.

Before Ben could ramble on even more, Mal ran the last few paces and pretty much threw herself at Ben, who caught her with open arms.

"I'm sorry!" Mal cried out into Ben's shoulder.

"No, I'm sorry!" Ben yelled, even louder than her.

"I'm so sorry, Ben!" Mal went on as she moved back a little and allowed herself to look at him.

"I'm so sorry, Mal!" Ben continued, grabbing Mal's face in his hands.

"I love you…" Mal whispered, a single tear escaping her eye.

"I love you…" Ben repeated, not able to suppress a large grin.

They simultaneously closed the distance between them and met in what could have been their most intense kiss of all time. It felt just like their first kiss during cotillion, with a sensation akin to a thousand pounds of firework being lit in her stomach.

After what could have been ten hours, Mal wasn't sure, she and Ben finally moved back, only to stare lovingly into each other's eyes again.

"We can work through this!" Ben confidently stated.

"Yes, we can…" Mal replied heartfelt. "Together…"

"Together…" Ben nodded. "Always…"


	33. Chapter 33: Invited

**A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 33: Invited

It was extremely weird for CJ, sitting alone in a huge but empty hall, waiting for Archer to finish his talk.

After they arrived in the town called 'Lone Keep', Archer only needed to show his fancy sword to the guards before they received an escort to see the local lord whose name CJ hadn't bothered to remember.

Archer had had to talk a lot in the hours following their arrival, mostly retelling the events surrounding the fight his friends and CJ's former allies had had.

CJ had remained by his side most of the time, feeling very insecure about venturing out in this place that she absolutely did not know. When asked who she was, Archer had simply answered that she was a friend, which had been enough for the local people to treat her with the same hospitality they had shown to Archer.

Now, however, Archer and the local lord had some private things to discuss, leaving CJ sitting alone on a marble bench on the side of a large hall. She had received a large fruit bowl from a servant, with the message that she was allowed to eat as much as she wanted.

Not needing to hear that twice, CJ had already finished an entire bowl filled with apples, grapes and strawberries and was now busy peeling her third orange. She hadn't really realized how hungry she had been during her descent down the mountain, but was now eternally grateful to have something to eat besides Archer's horrendous energy bars.

Being from the isle, CJ had spent her time learning other things than table manners, so it did not come as a surprise to her when every time some high-ranking official passed by her, they gave her a look of both interest and disdain. It probably didn't help either that she was surrounded by empty apple cores and stray orange peels.

CJ couldn't care less about what these people thought of her though, she was more preoccupied with her current predicament and how her decision to go to Auradon with Archer would pan out.

In the back of her mind there was a certain suspicion about the entire situation. Archer had been in that office with that local lord for at least half an hour. What were they talking about? Why couldn't CJ be present for this?

If she hadn't decided to completely trust Archer, she might have thought that he was conspiring against her. An eerie voice in the back of her mind kept telling her that it was all an act and the second she would step out of this building she would be thrown straight into Auradonian jail.

CJ peeled her next orange a little to roughly and squirted some of its juice all over her hands. If these suspicions would turn out to be correct, if Archer would betray her, then she vowed that she would spend the rest of her life to hunt him down.

A calmer voice in her mind kept telling her that this was all nonsense, that Archer had proven himself to be trustworthy and that she was just being paranoid about trusting someone for arguably the first time in her adult life. He had saved her life after all, what more could she ask?

On the other hand, it all just seemed too good to be true. Why would Archer, the good-looking Auradonian prince, take such an interest in her? Why would he put any effort into getting her into Auradon and, in his words, try to improve her life? When trying to answer these questions, CJ could only suspect he had to have some kind of ulterior motive.

This possibility alone was reason enough for CJ to decide to not let her guard down for one second yet, and the process she was going through at the moment mainly consisted of almost manically checking for any possible escape routes and routinely feeling if her sword was still in her scabbard.

The fact that the large hall she currently found herself in was empty only fueled her paranoia, as the only sounds which were of her chewing and the constant tapping of her feet on the stone floor only sounded all the louder.

CJ had already taken her time admiring the buildings of the town she had passed through. On the isle, there was hardly a building that wasn't half-collapsed, covered with graffiti or only kept standing through improvised works of rusted steel or old wood. Now, CJ realized that this small outpost could hardly be the pinnacle of Auradonian architecture, but the contrast with the isle could already almost not be any bigger. Here, everything was clean and well-kept, with large buildings made of brick, wood, cobblestone or a combination of them. The town hall, which was a building she herself would have called a castle, almost blew her mind with its huge wooden gate, high polished walls and marble floors. Archer had noticeably snickered at CJ's expression, something that immeasurably annoyed her.

Lost in her thoughts, it came as a sudden shock when she heard an abrupt banging sound from behind her. So abrupt even, that she had jumped up, unsheathed her sword and pointed it towards where the sound had originated from.

Instead of any sort of threat, she just found the local lord staring cross-eyed at her blade, which nearly touched his nose.

"CJ!?" Archer yelled in shock from behind the short, chubby man.

CJ immediately realized that the banging sound had simply been from the heavy wooden door of the lord's office, and that she wasn't being threatened.

"Oh!" CJ exclaimed, feeling a blush creep up her face as she hastily pulled back her blade. "I thought, ehm… I didn't realize…" She mumbled, vaguely pointing at the door.

"It's, ehm, no trouble." The short man squealed with his high-pitched voice, wiping the beads of quickly formed sweat off his forehead. "I've always said that we needed to silence those damn doors." He went on with a soft and insecure laugh.

"Sorry about that." Archer told the man, patting him on the back.

CJ looked away, ashamed that Archer needed to apologize on her behalf.

"It's nothing, dear boy. Now, I'll make sure to have everything worked out by tonight and you and your, ehm, charming companion will be able to ride out tomorrow morning." The man spoke to Archer in a more confident tone.

"Thank you again, you're doing me a great favor." Archer smiled in return.

"Oh, nonsense. The door will always be open for you here. Oh, and, ehm, please don't forget to mention this to your father." The man inquired, raising his eyebrows.

"I will make sure to tell him of the hospitality and kindness you have shown me in my hour of need, you need not worry." Archer replied, though CJ noticed a bit of a forced grin she had never seen him use before.

"My concierge will see you to your rooms." The man continued before clapping his hands.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a tall, pale man with a thin moustache appeared, almost startling CJ.

"Please escort them and see to their every need." The lord told his apparent servant, who bowed in response but did not speak. "I will see you tomorrow morning." The lord said to Archer, who shook his hand before the lord turned around and headed back to his office.

"Follow me please." The concierge told CJ and Archer, who proceeded to trail after him as they ascended the large, marble stairs of the castle.

CJ did not dare speak to Archer yet in the company of this, frankly, creepy man, but luckily the trip to their guest room took barely a minute.

"Your key." The concierge said, holding a large golden key out to Archer. "There are beds in separate rooms as well as a shared bathroom and, ehm, a change of clothes available for both of you." He continued with a somewhat contemptuous look at CJ's attire.

"Thank you very much." Archer hastily said as he took the key before CJ could comment.

"If you need anything else, just call. I will be available all night through the mansion's phone line." The concierge mentioned before bowing to the both of them and walking off.

"Jeez, how big is the stick up his butt?" CJ scoffed once the man was out of earshot.

Archer bit his lip to keep from laughing. "You are just, ehm, unusual to him, that's all."

"Don't care. Can we go in now?" CJ asked.

Archer nodded as he unlocked the door and held it open for CJ, who entered the room without thanking him.

The room was fairly large, or at least a lot bigger than what CJ was used to on the isle. To her right, she saw two beds standing against the wall, one was an enormous twin bed and the other a normal sized one. In front of her stood a large couch and some comfortable looking chairs around a small table. To her left the saw a large television screen surrounded by two doors.

"So, this is it for the night." Archer announced with a small hand gesture. "We leave tomorrow morning."

"How will we get to Auradon?" CJ asked nonchalantly as she walked over to the television screen and studied it.

"By car. A driver will bring us." Archer answered.

"Fancy." CJ replied as she walked over to the large windows and studied the view.

"So, ehm, where do you want to sleep?" Archer hesitantly asked.

"I call that big bed!" CJ immediately said, pointing her finger.

"I feared as much." Archer smirked. "I'll go check the other room then."

"Why? There's a bed right here." CJ pointed out.

"Yeah, but… Ehm, that's not… That wouldn't really be…" Archer stammered.

"What?" CJ questioned, looking at Archer suspiciously. "We spent a night together in a cave and in a forest but only now you get all weird about it?"

"We're under a roof now." Archer tried to justify his position.

"Whatever. You do what you want as long as I get the big bed." CJ stated before plopping down on the huge mattress.

She had never laid down on something so comfortable. The mattress was soft, bouncy and big enough that she could spread her arms and legs and still not reach the edges.

"Comfortable?" Archer asked with a grin.

"Holy shit! It's like laying in a cloud!" CJ happily exclaimed as she rolled around on her bed.

"You're only making it filthy." Archer sighed as he sat down on the smaller bed next to CJ.

"Shut up for a moment." CJ replied, closing her eyes in bliss.

"Do you want to shower first? We can get food afterwards." Archer offered.

"You can go first, I'm enjoying myself too much." CJ answered, keeping her eyes closed.

"Before you take a shower, please put your clothes in the laundry bin, it'll all be cleaned before we head back." Archer went on as CJ heard him walk around the room.

"Fine." She replied.

"There's shampoo and everything in the bathroom, as well as a set of clean clothes." Archer continued.

"Fine." CJ repeated, not moving an inch.

"Are you even listening to me?" Archer asked, raising his tone slightly.

"Fine." CJ answered with a mischievous grin.

She could hear Archer sigh in frustration from the other side of the room before she heard a door open and close. About a minute later, she heard the sound of running water and knew Archer must have begun his shower.

CJ spent the following minutes examining the room more thoroughly, checking the paintings, cabinets and television for anything that could be interesting. Her father had had a television on the isle, but it had been an old model with a busted screen and barely functioning sound system. This one was for more modern than CJ was used to and it took her a bit of effort to get a hang of the different buttons on the remote.

"Having fun?" Archer asked as he opened the door to the bathroom a little while later and looked at CJ.

"What the hell do you need all these buttons for anyw- Jesus Christ!" CJ yelled out as she quickly looked at Archer, only to realize he was standing there shirtless, only wearing a pair of sweatpants and a towel around his neck. His body was still covered in slight perspiration from the shower and his chiseled physique was basically glowing. Besides that, wet plasters of his hair hung across his forehead. CJ hated to admit it, but he looked absolutely hot.

"What!?" Archer shouted, looking back frantically.

"Put on a shirt for god's sake!" CJ went on, shielding her eyes.

Archer gave an exasperated sigh. "Really? That's what's bothering you?"

"Yes!" CJ answered, still not looking back.

"Grow up, will you?" Archer scoffed as he walked further into the room.

"Only when you put on a shirt." CJ retorted.

"Am I not allowed to show off? It works well with most ladies." Archer shrugged.

"I am not most ladies, you arrogant prick!" CJ sneered.

"Good to know." Archer mumbled as he grabbed a clean white shirt from the nearest cabinet and put it on. "You can open your eyes now, and go take a shower before we eat."

CJ hesitantly looked back at him and saw to her gratitude that he had indeed covered up a bit. She then stood up and headed for the bathroom.

"You know how the shower works?" Archer asked.

"I'll figure it out." CJ stated before disappearing into the room.

The bathroom was far larger than she was used to on the isle, and cleaner as well. The walls were covered in white tiles and to her right was an enormous sink with a large mirror. To her left, she saw a bin currently filled with Archer's dirty clothes, along with a cabinet filled with towels, cloths and sponges. In front of her was the shower, as well as a rich assortment of colored bottles of shampoo and soap. In front of the shower, on a chair, laid a collection of clothes. CJ pulled up her eyebrows as she studied the clothes. There were only dresses in sickly beige colors. CJ pulled one up in disgust. Did these people actually expect her to wear this?

Discarding the dresses, she soon found a compartment in another cabinet filled with sweatpants similar to Archer's and a few tank tops, something which she was sure that she would be far more comfortable in.

After removing her current, filthy outfit and throwing it into the bin alongside Archer's, CJ took a moment to examine the shower. The mechanism did not seem to be too difficult, with a simple handle indicating the temperature and the strength of the stream. CJ turned it on and felt immediate release as she was able to clean herself thoroughly for the first time in what felt like decades.

She had a bit of fun with she different shampoos, trying out a few to see which ones smelled the best. She had not really noticed before, but her hair had steadily changed into a tangled nest of split ends. CJ had always tried to take care of her hair, a part of her which she actually liked, but had naturally always been lacking in resources on the isle. Now that she had all the care products in the world to her disposal however, she did not plan on taking a short shower.

In the end, she must have stayed inside that shower booth for at least half an hour, but eventually she came out completely clean. She took a bit of effort into trying to comb through her still messy hair before drying off and putting on her self-chosen outfit.

When she eventually exited the bathroom, damp hair cascading down her back, Archer was laying down on the couch watching TV. His eyes widened when he noticed her and he opened his mouth but no words came out.

"What?" CJ asked in an amused tone, putting a hand on her hip as she kept standing in the doorway.

"N-nothing…" Archer stammered. "Y-you look, ehm… You look clean…"

"I feel clean." CJ acknowledged. "If all your showers are like this then I could get used to living in Auradon."

Archer nodded in reply, a slight blush creeping up on his cheeks. "What, ehm… W-what are you wearing? I-I thought they placed clothes there for you?"

"Dresses!?" CJ exclaimed. "They gave me dresses? I haven't worn a dress since I was six! No, no… I'm much more comfortable like this." She went on before plopping down on the couch next to Archer.

"Well, suit yourself then." He shrugged, an amused grin on his face.

"Hey, at least I didn't come out shirtless." CJ retorted, making Archer snicker yet again.

Nothing of note happened the following hour, as a servant came to pick up their dirty clothes before another servant soon entered to bring them a few plates of food. CJ was excited to try out as much of the delicious Auradon food as she could and Archer simply did his best to keep up. They went through an entire chicken, mashed potatoes, some cooked vegetables and some soup before they were finally satisfied.

"If this is how I die, then so be it." CJ groaned contently, laying back in a drowsy state.

"How does so much food fit into such a small body?" Archer asked from his position on the floor, where he had been munching on the final chicken leg.

"I have literally not eaten like this in ever, so give me a break." CJ lamented.

"Very well, as long as it doesn't affect your maneuverability." Archer grinned.

"Why shouldn't it?" CJ asked.

"Because once we get to Auradon, I want to take you on again, and I don't want any excuses from you when you lose." Archer sneered.

"You're very confident for a guy who's afraid of heights." CJ mumbled.

Archer sat up and threw his finished chicken leg at CJ. "You promised not to tease me with that."

"I can't help it, you're just such a douchebag sometimes." CJ snickered.

"How stupid of me to think you'd treat me differently after I saved your life." Archer casually mumbled.

CJ looked back at him, a sudden regretful feeling washing over her. "Thank you again though."

"Don't bother." Archer replied.

"No, really." CJ persisted. "What you did… It was very brave… And all this…" She went on, gesturing at the room. "No one has ever done anything like this for me."

"Maybe you've been hanging out with the wrong people." Archer offered propping himself up onto the couch next to her.

"Like I didn't know that." CJ shrugged.

"Things will change for you, you'll see…" Archer added. He then made a strange movement, as if he wanted to pat CJ on the shoulder, but ultimately retracted his hand.

"You keep promising me that." CJ gave him a sideways glance.

"I'm fairly good with promises though." Archer joked.

"What's gonna happen?" CJ asked as she pulled her hair over her shoulder and began braiding it. "Like, precisely? When we get to Auradon?"

"We, ehm, join the others. I'll probably have to explain everything to Ben and to Mal especially, but from then on you'll be able to stay with us. After that, everyone will most likely want to speak to you about the villains. You have some valuable information." Archer explained.

"What if they don't allow me to stay?" CJ asked, trying to mask the fear in her voice. "Mal will do anything in order to see me hang."

"I'll talk to them." Archer tried to reassure her, though CJ heard just a fraction of doubt in his voice. "You've basically switched allegiances already… They're not stupid people, they'll see how valuable you'd be on our side."

"Valuable?" CJ questioned with a small grin.

"You have information on the villains, have a detailed outline of their plan and are an amazing sword fighter. I'd frankly be thrilled to fight alongside you." Archer counted on his fingers.

"Fighting with the good guys…" CJ pondered to herself. "It has such a weird ring to it."

"Get used to it." Archer smiled. "From tomorrow on, you'll be a regular Auradon gal."

CJ cringed at his words, only making Archer laugh louder. "God, I hope I'll never be considered an 'Auradon gal'."

"You'll have to start wearing dresses for one." Archer piped in.

"I bet you'd love to see me in a dress." CJ joked, starting to laugh as well when she saw Archer's beet red face.

"Look, this is fun and all…" Archer began, gesturing at him and CJ. "But we're gonna have a long trip ahead of us, I suggest we get some sleep."

"Hell yes, I want to try out this bad boy." CJ cheered as she looked at her very own bed.

"There are beds in the rest of the kingdom." Archer shrugged.

"I wonder how they'll measure up against this one." CJ mumbled as she jumped onto the mattress.

"Goodnight, Calista." Archer grinned as he stepped onto his own bed and pulled the covers over himself.

"No! None of that! Ever!" CJ yelled at him.

"We'll talk about it in the morning." Archer replied as he stifled a yawn.

CJ threw one of her pillows at him. "Fine, but you've not heard the end of this!" She scoffed before laying down herself and wrapping herself up in the thick blankets.

Despite being arguably the most comfortable she had ever been, with a full belly and surrounded by softness, CJ had a rocky night.

The first time she woke up her dreams had contained flashes of the horrors she had lived through on the isle. These were memories CJ would rather not relive, as they were nothing but sad and painful and simply told of a past filled with betrayal and hurt.

She had woken up in the dark of night, covered in sweat and breathing heavily. It had taken her a moment to become aware of her surroundings, but once she realized that her worst fears had not indeed come true, she quickly calmed down. She looked around, checking every detail of the room. Archer had not been woken up by her panic attack and just continued his loud snoring.

CJ was still tired after this, so it took little time before she had once again drifted off into slumber. CJ had initially hoped that the nightmares were behind her now, but little did she know that they were about to get much worse.

In a dream that seemed more lifelike than anything she had ever felt, she relived the moment Archer and she had crossed the narrow ledge on the mountain. It was as if CJ was simply a guest in her own body, since she saw everything from her point of view but had no control over her movements.

She saw everything happen in anticipation. How she initially crossed the ledge relatively easily, before suddenly losing her footing and almost tumbling down. Already, her insides felt a little twisted as she again helplessly clung to the ledge for dear life. Her breathing quickened and her heart was beating painfully in her chest. She then watched hopefully as Archer began to approach her despite his fears. Step by step, he came closer, his eyes not leaving hers. Once he reached her and stuck out his hand, CJ felt as though her heart skipped a beat. She wanted to speak, thank him, but no words came out of her mouth. The moment Archer's hand closed itself around her wrist, she saw his expression change into a confident smile. CJ wanted to smile back as she readied herself to try and climb back up.

All of the sudden, the dream changed. The sky darkened, the air thickened and Archer's normally blue eyes turned into a violent red.

"Goodbye." Archer spoke in a deep, raspy voice that wasn't his before he gripped her arm even tighter and threw her off the ledge with force.

CJ wanted to scream, to beg, to plead, but no words escaped her lips as she helplessly tumbled down. Archer's face turned into a menacing grin and his red eyes glowed evilly as he simply watched her fall to her death. Her stomach tightened and she felt sick as the sense of betrayal she felt threatened to burst out of her. CJ watched the ground rapidly move towards her and inwardly prepared for a smack…

"CJ! CJ!" Someone yelled and all at once the air returned to normal and CJ breathed in with huge, heaving gasps.

"NO! NO! NO!" She screamed, tossing and flailing her arms around wildly.

She felt someone grab her wrists and attempt to pin them down, only fueling her panic and making her attempts to escape all the more frantic.

"CJ! Calm down! Calm down! CJ, it's me! It's me!" The voice yelled again, and CJ finally opened her eyes.

She was still in the bedroom, laying on her huge bed. Her lower half was entangled in the thick blanket, which explained why she found it so difficult to kick her legs. She looked around frantically and her eyes eventually met Archer's.

"A-archer?" CJ mumbled, finally stopping her struggling.

"Yes! Yes… Jeez, what's wrong?" Archer asked, his voice dripping with concern and fear.

CJ didn't know what possessed her, but she suddenly found herself having leaped forward and pulled Archer into a strong hug before she began to silently cry.

"CJ!?" Archer again exclaimed in a somewhat shocked tone, obviously uncomfortable since she had never really showed off this kind of affection.

"D-did, ehm… Did you have a-a nightmare or something?" Archer stammered, carefully giving CJ a few pats on the back.

CJ, in the meantime, simply tried her best to steady her breathing, her hands still clutching the back of Archer's shirt.

"It's okay… Everything's fine… You're safe… You're with me…" Archer shushed her, softly squeezing her in his muscular arms.

CJ's tears began to stain Archer's shoulder, but he did not seem to mind. CJ kept subconsciously replaying her nightmare in her head. It had all seemed so real… Far too real… Furthermore, she was pretty shocked by her reaction. She'd had nightmares before, but she had never reacted so emotionally…

"You, ehm… You were shaking…" Archer spoke, trying to relieve some of the tension as he kept softly rubbing CJ's back. "You were mumbling and groaning and struggling…"

"Did, ehm… Did I wake you up?" CJ croaked.

"Ehm, yeah…" Archer mumbled in reply. "I mean, by the end you were pretty much shaking the entire bed with your struggling… What happened? You can talk to me…"

"Nothing…" CJ replied a little too fast. "A bad dream… Nothing much…"

"It didn't sound like nothing." Archer stated as he let go of CJ and kept her at arm's length. "You're still shaky… I've never seen you like this…"

"Well, it's not like you know me very well!" CJ retorted, sounding harsher than intended.

Archer's look soured almost immediately. "Look, I'm just checking if you're okay…"

CJ closed her eyes in regret. "Yeah, I'm sorry… It's just… This is new…"

"What is?" Archer asked, the surprise in his voice about her apology clearly evident.

"Just… Someone to, ehm, talk to…" CJ stammered, looking away from Archer.

This statement apparently only added to Archer's feeling of uneasiness, judging from the red color on his face that was even easily distinguishable in the dark.

"Well, ehm… I'm not going anywhere… You should know that…" Archer told her with such confidence and undertone of reassurance that CJ instantly felt her stomach make a weird jump.

Before she could stop herself, or before any sort of rational thought could enter her mind, CJ again found herself leaping forward and putting her arms around Archer's neck. Only this time, she also brought her face closer to his and within a second her lips found his and she kissed him passionately.

That moment, that one moment, seemed to last a lifetime. CJ felt a weird, tingling sensation in her stomach but also felt as though fireworks were lit inside her head. It was as if a spark was passed to her from Archer and travelled through her entire body, making for an electrifying sensation.

That moment actually only lasted about five seconds though, by which time CJ had regained some of her rational thinking and hastily pushed Archer back.

Archer looked almost exactly like CJ felt, which was completely dumb-founded. The red blush which had earlier been a little visible was now spread over his entire face. His eyes were wide open and stared at her in a mix of confusion and shock. His mouth was open, but no words or any sound really came out. CJ, in her turn, could similarly do little more than bite her lip and look at Archer semi-apologetically.

When what felt like several minutes passed and neither of them moved, CJ eventually broke the tension by shuffling back to the middle of her bed.

"Goodnight." She mumbled as she once again pulled the covers over herself and turned away from Archer.

After a few harrowing seconds, CJ felt her mattress shift as Archer stood up and walked back to his own bed. She heard him pull up his own covers after that, but it took a whole lot longer before she heard his loud snoring again.


	34. Chapter 34: Complicated

**A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 34: Complicated

To say the following morning was a little awkward was an understatement. Both CJ and Archer were woken up around seven AM by the concierge, who also brought them breakfast and their now freshly washed clothes.

Neither CJ or Archer wanted to change while the other watched, so they took turns going into the bathroom and getting ready there.

The tension between them was palpable as CJ munched on her toast and fried eggs, only occasionally glancing up at Archer, who she more than once caught quickly looking away.

With only the bare minimum of conversation, they eventually left their room to once again be greeted by the local lord, who awaited them in the large main hall.

"Good morning, you two. Was everything in the room to your liking?" The man smiled at them.

"It was all very, ehm, pleasant, thank you again." Archer replied with a small bow.

"Oh, I also have this for you." The man went on, handing Archer a small device with buttons. "I have already contacted your parents and told king Benjamin's office of your arrival here, but this way you will be able to alert them of your precise arrival back in Auradon."

"I will, and thank you again, honestly." Archer nodded again.

"God speed to you, my boy." The man pompously announced as he shook Archer's hand. "Good luck on your trip."

He next shook CJ's hand, again with a kind smile, but she only managed a forced grin in return before she followed Archer out the heavy wooden gate.

The car that would bring them to Auradon was a lot smaller than the one CJ had seen on the isle when Mal and the VK's were being brought to Auradon, but it was still pretty big.

Two men in tight suits and sun glasses stood in front of the vehicle and nodded at Archer once they saw him. The one on the left opened the back door and gestured that both he and CJ should enter.

"Ehm, could I ride shotgun?" Archer asked with a hesitant glance at CJ.

"Sorry sir, but regulations state that you and your companion should ride in the back while me and mine have the front seats." The man said in a heavy voice.

Archer sighed and threw one more hesitant glance in CJ's direction before entering the car. CJ followed him, also nervously letting her eyes wander over the man who held the door open for her.

The back seats of the car were completely blocked off from the front seats by a wall which also had a small screen in it. While it was still spacious, CJ and Archer were forced to sit far closer to each other than she guessed either of them would be comfortable with. Archer sat to CJ's left, where he was currently strapping himself into his seatbelt.

"How long does this ride take?" CJ asked, not looking at him.

"Just over a day. We should arrive tomorrow around noon." Archer answered, also not looking back at her.

CJ didn't reply, but inwards she screamed in frustration. She would have to spend an entire day locked up in this tiny compact space with the person she would probably most like to avoid right now.

God, why did she have to kiss him!? What came over her!? Yes, that dream or nightmare, or whatever it was had freaked her out, but she had seriously never found herself in a situation where she had lost such control of her emotions.

They had not spoken a word about it yet, so CJ didn't know exactly what Archer thought of the whole ordeal, though she could easily guess. He was probably completely weirded out. They had spent days journeying through the wilderness together… He had convinced her to switch allegiances… He had saved her life… They had laughed, joked and occasionally screamed at each other… CJ couldn't help but think they'd become friends of some sort. Besides maybe Freddie, Archer was really the only person CJ already sort of knew and liked on the other side, and now she made things perpetually awkward between them.

On the other hand, CJ did not feel particularly bad about having done it. Especially at the moment when it happened, she probably felt more alive than she'd ever felt before. She knew she liked Archer, mainly because he had been the first person she'd decided to trust in, like, ever, but also because she had genuinely enjoyed their time together. She knew that they could definitely be friends, but did she feel, you know, 'that way' about him? There was no denying he was physically very attractive, and though his personality had a few tweaks, she would definitely not call him unkind. These sorts of feelings were mostly uncharted territory for CJ, who had never even considered dating someone on the isle.

Still, her feelings on the subject barely mattered if all Archer could think about was how weird she was. She wanted to talk to him about it, but she didn't know if she wanted tell him that the entire thing didn't mean that much, or tell the truth and say how much it did matter to her.

Archer did seem like he wanted to speak to her on several occasions when he looked in her direction and opened his mouth, but every time he made a beeline back to his own side and proceeded to stare out his window for a few minutes.

Even though literally nothing was happening, CJ was thus constantly on edge. She couldn't even bring herself to take in more of Auradon's landscape that they passed through during their ride. Time seemed to crawl by and CJ was spending it almost perpetually panicked. She knew this couldn't go on, but she felt trapped. Still, if she let things run their course as they were now, she realized that her time in Auradon would quickly become just as unbearable. She needed to take action.

"Archer?" CJ spoke up.

"Hmm?" Archer quickly reacted, obviously surprised that CJ was even talking to him.

"Are we gonna stop anytime soon, for like a bathroom break or something?" She asked.

"Ehm, yeah… About every three hours or something…" Archer answered, the tension dripping from his voice.

"Good." CJ replied before turning back to her window again.

So, CJ just waited a little while longer, still in that unbearable silence with Archer. Eventually though, when they breached the edge of a large forest, the car slowed down next to a small building with several large pumps.

"What is this place?" CJ asked.

"A gas station." Archer simply answered as he waited for the car to slow down completely before opening his door.

CJ sputtered a little as she quickly opened her own door and headed out as well. "Archer!" She yelled as she walked around the car to the other side. "I need to talk to you!"

Archer looked a little perplexed, but also flustered due to the presence of the two sunglasses wearing suits beside them.

"Ehm, okay…" Archer mumbled. "C-could you give us a few minutes?" He then asked the suits.

"We fill up and head out again right after. You have five minutes." One of them brusquely answered.

"Okay, come on then." Archer quickly beckoned CJ to follow him.

CJ pursued Archer, who walked past the small building to a place where more cars stood parked with people around them. When they noticed Archer, most started whispering to their companions enthusiastically and some others happily waved and called out to him. Archer forced a smile on his face and reciprocated their greetings, though the fast pace with which he continued to walk indicated that he did not want to be disturbed.

"Do all these people know you?" CJ asked, unable to keep the legit interest out of her voice.

"Sort of… We just passed the border of Camelot, my home. This is my father's land and these are his people." Archer explained

CJ looked around with a bit more interest at both the landscape and the people after hearing this. "So, you're famous then?"

Archer shrugged. "If you want to call it that."

CJ didn't press on, also feeling like they probably had more urgent matters to discuss. Eventually, they reached the tree line and stopped in the shadow of a large pine.

"What?" Archer asked, more direct and impassive than she had ever heard him talk.

"I need to talk to you." CJ replied, similarly crossing her arms in a defensive stance.

"About what?" Archer responded, his eyes flashing from side to side to make sure they were alone.

"You know damn well about what!" CJ spat, her hands balling into fists.

A blush appeared on Archer's cheeks as he bit his lip. "Well… Okay then… Speak!"

CJ started blushing as well as she looked down and began digging her heel into the moss below her. "I, ehm… I wanted to apologize…"

Archer's eyes widened and his entire demeanor seemed to switch from impatience to compassion almost instantly.

"I-I was just… I-I panicked… I had that nightmare… A-and y-you were there… I-I've never, ehm, had someone like that… Someone who listened…" CJ went on, feeling more and more self-conscious as she spoke.

"CJ…" Archer began.

"No! Hold on! L-let me finish!" CJ interrupted him. "Look… This is all a little, ehm, new for me… Trying to be good… Getting into Auradon and all… What I'm saying is… I-I'm not sure what I'm feeling at the moment…"

Archer bit his lip and began staring vaguely in the distance. "I get it… Y-you were confused and, ehm, disorientated… I-I get it…"

"No! No! No!" CJ exclaimed, agitated. God, she felt so infuriated. Never, never had she felt as stressed as at that point. This was somehow worse for her than times when she'd had to fear for her life, because this wasn't really something she could deal with on instinct. Here, she had to think carefully of her words and try not to upset the situation even further. "I-I wasn't finished yet! Alright, I, ehm… I didn't, ehm, mean to do what I did…"

"I get it." Archer replied a little too fast, the blush creeping up to his ears. "I won't bother you about it again." He went on before beginning to walk away.

"No! Dammit, Archer!" CJ yelled as she ran after him and eventually grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around.

"What!?" Archer exclaimed, looking a little maniacal. "You said you didn't mean it, s-so let's pretend it never happened, right!?"

CJ felt a slight pain near her heart, but she had already decided to press on. "I said that I didn't mean to do it when I did it."

This sentence made Archer look a bit more interested instead of agitated, he at least relaxed a little while CJ still kept a hold of his shoulder.

"I didn't mean to do it at the time…" CJ went on, looking straight into Archer's eyes to make sure knew how serious she was. "B-but… But, ehm… But I don't, ehm, really regret it…"

Now Archer looked both completely disbelieving and uncomfortable, but he made no move to maybe try to dislodge CJ's hand or step back.

"I like you…" CJ eventually mumbled, removing her hand from Archer's shoulder. "I like you… T-that's why I did it…"

Archer's gaze never left hers, and CJ could almost believe she saw his brain working overtime through his pupils.

"I like you…" CJ repeated, feeling even more stress even though the pressure of having said those words was finally lifted off her shoulders. "In, ehm, that way… At least, ehm, I think so…"

CJ could have sworn she saw a small smile creep up on Archer's face when the silence was suddenly broken by a sharp whistle.

Both Archer and CJ turned around sharply to see one of the suits stand there looking at them before impatiently tapping his watch.

"One more minute!" Archer shouted back, seemingly very annoyed.

CJ was suddenly extremely embarrassed as she looked away from Archer right as he turned back to her.

"I, ehm… *cough* So… Y-you… You, ehm, you like me?" He stammered, rubbing his hands.

CJ nodded hesitantly, pulling a face at the same time.

Archer looked distraught more than anything by this answer, his eyes widening and his breath quickening slightly. "You, ehm… H-how do you know?"

Now, that was a question CJ hadn't really expected, nor did she know how to answer it straight away. "I-I don't know… I mean… H-how are you supposed to know?"

"Well…" Archer began, putting his hands in his pockets and looking in the general direction over CJ's shoulder. "You, ehm, you feel like you can do anything with that person… Like you don't have to hide anything about who you are… Like you know they'll never judge you and that any situation would be better with them…"

CJ listened with bated breath as Archer listed all those things. With every sentence she became more sure that that was indeed the way she felt about him.

"But… The tricky part is…" Archer went on. "That, ehm, feeling only comes by rarely… So… When you feel it… You don't really know that you're feeling it because, ehm, you're not sure what it feels like… Get it?"

CJ shook her head, but her smile did grow wider watching Archer seemingly painstakingly try to make things clear for her.

"Okay… It's, ehm… This feeling… It's in your heart…" Archer continued, placing his own hand on his chest. "It's, ehm, warm and pleasant… But also a little scary sometimes… You feel your heartbeat fasten and your chest, ehm, tightens… You just feel warm and satisfied whenever you're with, ehm, that person…"

"Do you have a girlfriend?" CJ suddenly asked in a bit of a shocked tone.

"What!? No!" Archer hastily answered.

"Well… Then… H-how do you know all this? How you're supposed to feel?" CJ continued, feeling her hands start to get clammy.

"Well, ehm… T-this… It's… It's, ehm…" Archer stammered.

"What?" CJ asked, now solely focusing on Archer.

"It's how I feel about you…" Archer finished, his entire face turning red from the instant blush.

This comment nearly blew CJ back. Anything else! She would have literally expected to hear anything else from Archer at this moment, but now it felt as though her thoughts were completely shut off.

"W-what?" CJ stuttered, her clammy hands having balled into fists.

"That's how I feel about you." Archer repeated, more clearly this time. "I-I think I like you too… I really think so…"

"What!?" CJ repeated in a much louder volume.

"Shh! Jesus!" Archer shushed her, taking one step closer to her.

"You say you like me!?" CJ asked, just as loud.

"In a softer volume please!" Archer grunted.

CJ was left relatively speechless, but felt as though fireworks had been lit inside her head and she felt completely overwhelmed from the information she had just received and how she was trying to process it. Archer liked her!? He said he liked her!?

"You like me?" CJ repeated, softer this time but with an undertone of complete joy and disbelief.

"Yes." Archer answered. "I mean… I think so… No! Yes! Yes, I do!"

"Why?" CJ bluntly asked, the words having escaped her mouth before she really realized it.

"Why?" Archer questioned her question with a bit a scoff. "I mean, I could tell…" He began before the silence around them was broken by a loud car horn.

Looking up, both CJ and Archer saw their car standing on the road nearby with one of the suits holding an arm out of the window and again impatiently tapping his watch.

"We should, ehm, go…" Archer hesitantly said, looking at CJ from the corner of his eye.

"Can we continue this conversation in the car? I really wanted to hear that next sentence." CJ quickly replied.

Archer hastily nodded and both of them ran towards the car where Archer held the door open for CJ, who did thank him this time.

"So?" CJ began with a grin once she had sat down and put on her seatbelt. "You were saying?"

"I like you." Archer replied with an almost wider grin. "I like you a lot!"

CJ practically squealed and began laughing loudly, feeling as though she had not expressed any positive emotions in days. It was incredible. All the tension she and Archer had amassed over the previous day seemed to have just vanished in an instant, and all because CJ had somehow found the courage to speak her mind. More incredibly than CJ speaking her mind however was the fact that Archer apparently reciprocated her feelings, at least to a certain extend. "H-how could 'you' like 'me'?"

"Want me to tell you?" Archer grinned, turning in his seat to look at her.

"Yes, please." CJ smiled, leaning her head against her back rest.

"Well, you're funny. Insufferable, but funny." Archer began.

CJ started laughing even more. "Haha, true I guess…"

"You speak your mind, I admire that." Archer continued.

CJ again nodded in confirmation, the perpetual smile still not leaving her face.

"And everything I said before." Archer concluded, looking at CJ in a way she had not seen him look at her before. "I feel like I could do anything with you… I don't have to change myself for you… Like you'll not judge me…"

"Oh, I still like to judge you…" CJ grinned.

"And I wouldn't want you to stop doing so!" Archer hastily replied. "I love it when you do that! I love your wit! I love spending time with you! Y-you… You are really great!"

"Oh, please…" CJ began blushing heavily as she felt tears of happiness spring up in her eyes, something that had literally never happened to her before.

"You should hear that more often!" Archer loudly exclaimed.

"Stop! Stop!" CJ nearly cried in laughter as she pressed her hands to her stomach.

"No!" Archer enthusiastically replied. "You are amazing!"

"I really am not though…" CJ mumbled.

"Did I not just list a few reasons?" Archer grinned. "Case closed, you are amazing! Now, why do you like me?"

This question brought CJ back to earth and she spent a few seconds simply looking at Archer, taking in every detail about his currently overenthusiastic face.

"It's not just because I saved your life, is it?" Archer hesitantly asked.

"No…" CJ softly answered, shaking her head. "I mean, it didn't hurt that you did… But, ehm, it's more than that… You were so kind to me, even though we were supposed to be enemies… You never treated me as less than a person… You showed me that you cared about what happened to me… You actively tried to better my life… I could never thank you enough for all of that."

"I'm sorry you've had to go through so much…" Archer hung his head. "I will continue to try to be there for you…"

CJ laughed even louder. "Wow… T-this is so weird…"

"What is?" Archer asked sincerely.

"I-I have been struggling with this for hours… Hours where all I could think about was what to tell you… I thought I completely freaked you out w-when, ehm, when I did… it…" CJ stammered.

Archer began blushing a little. "Well, you did… I was, ehm, quite shocked…"

"I'm sorry…" CJ apologized, scrunching up her face a little.

"No! No! D-don't be… I mean, if anything I was scared that you only did it because you were, ehm, stressed or something… When you kept ignoring me I was sure you just wanted to let it go…" Archer replied.

"Ugh, but I was scared too!" CJ retorted. "I thought that you never wanted to speak to me again! I thought that I had ruined the one good thing that has happened to me!"

The words had left CJ's mouth before she realized it, and she immediately moved her hands up to her mouth after doing so. Damn, why did she have to say that? She only made herself sound even more pathetic.

"T-the one good thing?" Archer asked with a bit of a stutter. "The one good thing that has happened to you?"

"Well, yes!" CJ admitted, not feeling the need to hide anything. "My life on the isle was horrible, then when we got here it got even worse. I had no friends I could count on… No one who had my back… All my family hates me…"

Without warning, Archer leaned towards her and pulled her into a hug. A hug just like the one he had given yesterday when she had woken up from her nightmare. A hug filled with comfort and compassion.

"That is all behind you now!" He told her with confidence. "I promise you that! I promise t-that from this day on you'll never have to be alone again! You're gonna be safe! I-I will be there for you…"

CJ hugged him back, again left speechless. "Thank you… Thank you for everything…"

She could almost feel how Archer started smiling. "You really made it easy to help you… God… I-I want to spend more time with you!"

"Well, we can, right?" CJ replied. "What's gonna stop us when we get to Auradon?"

"The war maybe." Archer answered, letting go of CJ and keeping her at arm's length.

"Oh yeah…" CJ mumbled unenthusiastically. "God, why did I ever help that lunatic!?"

"You were forced." Archer said in a steely tone. "Don't forget that! You never wanted any of this! That is something you'll have to clarify to the others."

"Right." CJ sighed. "Because else they'll throw me in prison."

"I won't let it come to that." Archer told her, taking one of her hands in both of his own.

"You make a lot of promises." CJ said with a weak smile. "Aren't you afraid you won't be able to uphold them all?"

"No." Archer resolutely answered. "I won't stop until you finally get what you deserve, which is so much more than you've known throughout your life. And, ehm, you've given me another reason to help you…"

"Because I said I like you?" CJ smirked, her eyes twinkling.

"Of course because you said you like me!" Archer laughed. "Do you have any idea how special that is for me? Especially coming from you?"

"Why is it so special?" CJ grinned. "You're not bad-looking, you know. I bet tons of prissy Auradon girls have thrown themselves at your feet."

This made Archer blush in embarrassment for once, which in turn caused CJ to snicker. "Okay, you're partially correct… I have been approached plenty of times… But… I've never, ehm, really… I'm still…"

"Have you never had a girlfriend?" CJ asked, unable to mask the disbelief and amusement in her voice.

"Well… No… Not in the sense most people see it." Archer hesitantly answered.

"Never!? Not even, like, when you were younger?" CJ went on.

"Never." Archer confirmed. "There were, ehm, complications…"

"What? They weren't pretty enough?" CJ smirked, but stopped once she noticed Archer's reaction.

"Do you really think me so shallow?" He asked, a bit of hurt present in his voice.

"Of course not." CJ replied, rubbing his arm a little. "I was just teasing…" Archer kept on looking a bit hurt however so CJ set up straighter. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I know you have that, ehm, mindset of yours and I don't want to hurt you…"

"It's okay." Archer gave a small smile and patted CJ's hand.

"Thanks…" CJ smiled in return. "But… You were saying?"

Archer exhaled deeply before continuing. "Well, it wasn't because they weren't pretty enough… It was more because they, ehm, didn't really want me…"

"They didn't want you? What did you do wrong?" CJ asked indignant.

"No, no… You misunderstood me… They, ehm, the girls didn't want 'me' for 'me'… They just saw me as, ehm, just a prince…" Archer corrected.

"Ooohhh…" CJ nodded. "So, it was them who were shallow?"

"If you want to phrase it that way… You didn't get that from me though." Archer added.

CJ smirked a little. "So… Have you ever kissed a girl?"

This made Archer blush again. "Yes! Yes, of course I have!"

CJ put her hands in a defensive stance and produced yet another teasing smirk. "Hey! Okay, if you say so…"

"It's true!" Archer groaned. "I have never, like, dated a girl… I have kissed some though…"

"How many?" CJ questioned.

"Well, wouldn't you like to know…" Archer grinned.

"I'm just curious." CJ shrugged.

"It's not a sin, but be careful." Archer nudged her.

"Come on…" CJ whined, tapping Archer's leg with her boot.

"Right, if I tell you that… Will you tell me how many guys you've kissed?" Archer offered.

This made the smile disappear right off of CJ's face. "You don't want to know."

"What? But you are allowed to know about my past exploits?" Archer questioned.

"That's different." CJ crossed her arms.

"How so?" Archer went on.

"You don't want to know!" CJ repeated with a bit more volume.

"Is romance really that terrible on the isle?" Archer asked.

"There is no romance on the isle!" CJ grunted. "There's only… Pain… Regret…"

"I'm sorry…" Archer mumbled.

"Don't… J-just don't be… It's not your fault… But, ehm, it's just something I'd rather forget…" CJ explained.

"I understand." Archer nodded, his hand sort of reaching for hers.

CJ almost surprised herself when she closed the gap and interlaced her fingers through Archer's in a gesture that showed even more that she trusted him.

"Four…" Archer mumbled after a while. "I've kissed four girls…"

CJ looked up at him with a small smirk, realizing that this was his way of trying to cheer her up. "And what happened with these four? Why are they not currently holding your hand?"

Archer squinted at her, looking both amused and annoyed. "Well… The first was actually just a dare during a drinking game… Nothing big and neither one of us really expected anything out of it."

"And the rest?" CJ pressed on.

"Two were during my days in the army, when we'd get really drunk… Those were drunken mishaps… God, I was stupid back then…" Archer scoffed.

"You don't say." CJ piped up.

"The last one was Freddie, but that was only bec-" Archer began.

"You kissed Freddie!?" CJ exclaimed, her voice a pitch higher than she was used to.

Archer nearly jumped up in surprise and let go of her hand. "Ehm, yeah… Did she not tell you?"

"What!?" CJ went on, sounding almost hysterical. "W-what? Why? When? H-how?"

"She didn't tell you?" Archer questioned. "Ehm, okay… Wow…"

"You and Freddie were a thing?" CJ continued.

"What? No! N-never! We were just, ehm… It was just one time…" Archer stammered.

"Explain!" CJ demanded, crossing her arms. If Archer, the guy she liked, was somehow previously involved with Freddie, her closest friend, she kind of needed to know.

"Okay, look… There was this dance a couple of months back and, ehm, I needed a date… I didn't know who to ask so, ehm, eventually I just asked Freddie, as a friend!" Archer explained, putting emphasis on those last few words.

"Go on." CJ requested in an icy tone.

"All we did was dance a little and talk, and drink… We just had fun as friends… When I, ehm, eventually brought her back to her room, she kissed me…" Archer hesitantly concluded.

"Why would she do that? You said you went just as friends." CJ asked, still not very jovial.

"We were drunk… She was a little emotional… B-but I cut it off immediately! I told her I liked her just as a friend and that's all we've ever been since." Archer stated.

"Really?" CJ raised her eyebrows.

"Really!" Archer confirmed, almost making a pleading gesture. "It was one kiss that didn't mean anything! It's, ehm, you… It's you who I like…"

CJ felt her anger melt away and let her shoulders relax as she shot Archer a somewhat timid glare. "Okay…"

"Okay?" Archer questioned.

"Yes, okay… Look, I told you I like you and all but don't go around kissing other girls please, that would really dampen the mood." CJ smirked.

Archer smiled broadly. "God, you are demanding."

"And you are a show-off." CJ teased.

"You get jealous easily! I see that now!" Archer pointed out.

"And you are way too easily offended." CJ began poking Archer's arm.

Archer reacted by reaching for CJ and pulling her against him. CJ struggled playfully, somewhat restricted by the close confines of the car and the seatbelt she still wore. When Archer began tickling her however, her struggles intensified however along with her laughter.

For a few minutes they went back and fort like that, with either one of them being in control at one time or another. Their playful struggling eventually ended with Archer leaning back against his seat and CJ in his arms leaning against his chest. Archer softly let his fingers comb through CJ's hair, making her feel even more secure.

"You like my hair, eh?" CJ asked.

"It's beautiful…" Archer replied. "You're beautiful…" He added.

CJ looked up and into his ridiculously blue eyes and smiled broadly. Archer in turn began to smile as well as he leaned down. CJ met him half way and they shared their first official kiss, in the sense that this was completely planned by both of them. CJ again felt a weird but pleasant tingling sensation in her stomach as well as the now familiar fireworks in her head. Only this time, the positive feelings were not immediately squashed by a sense of dread or panic, instead she felt almost immeasurably happy as she again preened up at Archer, who had a similar sort of perpetual smile on his face.

"This is nice…" Archer sighed, leaning back again.

"I could get used to this as well." CJ smirked, snuggling a little closer to Archer.


	35. Chapter 35: Uninvited

**A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **A few reactions to reviews:**

 **\- I realize that CJ and Archer's relationship has moved a little fast, but that is kind of a thing in the Descendants universe. Just remember that Ben told Mal he loved her in song before they'd even had their first date.**

 **\- Mal has had a rough phase, with a lot going on, but she has again come out of it stronger and is fully ready to team up with Ben and save Auradon.**

* * *

Chapter 35: Uninvited

CJ and Archer largely spent the remainder of the journey to Auradon in each other's arms. They didn't speak much, but the silence was now the complete opposite of what it had been only earlier in the day. Instead of awkwardness, the silence was filled with comfort and understanding, a feeling CJ grew more and more used to. Eventually the two fell asleep and went on to remain that way until they reached the borders of Auradon City.

A sudden jerk of the car woke both of them up, and after spending a few seconds readjusting to being awake, they smiled broadly once they noticed each other.

"Hey, you." Archer greeted with a yawn.

"Morning…" CJ murmured, stretching her arms. "Is it morning?"

Archer checked the mobile device the lord of Lone Keep had given him. "Ehm, yep… It's nine o'clock."

"Are we there yet?" CJ asked, looking out of her window.

"We should be." Archer answered, looking out of his own window. "Yeah, that's Auradon City up in the distance."

"Auradon City…" CJ gasped as she looked at the vague skyline of the city up ahead.

"I have to alert the others that we'll be arriving." Archer stated as he began dialing numbers on his device before holding it to his ear.

"They don't know we're coming?" CJ questioned.

"They know we're coming, but not when. This is just to alert them." Archer explained.

CJ just nodded as Archer apparently waited for someone to answer his call.

"Hey, Ben… It's me…" Archer suddenly said, and CJ could vaguely hear someone speaking through the device. "Yeah, I'm okay… Really… We're nearing Auradon City now… Should be about fifteen more minutes or so… Oh, way too long… Nah, I'm good… Listen, ehm, how is everyone? I haven't heard anything yet?... Shit, is she okay?... Thank god… They've had worse… Really? You too?... Where?... Damn, I guess you were lucky in that regard… The mountains, somewhere near Lone Keep… About two days… Doesn't matter, I'll be back soon… Who else is there?... Oh great, an entire welcome committee… Will there be snacks?... I look forward to it… Alright… I'll see you soon… Bye, man…"

"Everything alright?" CJ asked.

"Yeah, just, ehm, some information I didn't have yet…" Archer answered, putting away the device.

"Who did you ask about? Who is okay?" CJ went on.

"Ehm, Jordan. A friend of mine… She got wounded during the fighting… I guess Solomon burned her or something…" Archer explained.

"Oh…" CJ gasped, feeling a little guilty.

"Hey, you didn't do this." Archer told her, softly patting her on the arm.

"Still…" CJ moped. "How did they react when you told them I'd be coming?"

This question caused Archer to start blushing and bite his lip, not providing an answer.

"Archer?" CJ went on. "What did they say?"

"Okay, hear me out…" Archer began as he turned towards CJ. "I, ehm, haven't told them about you…"

CJ raised her eyebrows. "You didn't tell them about me?"

"No…" Archer shook his head.

"Why not?" CJ asked in an icy tone.

"That's what I thought was wisest…" Archer hesitantly answered.

"Are you ashamed to be seen with me or something?" CJ continued a bit more aggressively.

"What? No!" Archer quickly replied.

"Then why didn't you say anything?" CJ practically pleaded.

"I was scared, alright?" Archer snapped. "You… You and Mal have some rivalry going on… I don't know the specifics, but it's pretty bad from what I've heard… I thought that, ehm, if she and Ben were to find out you were with me, they'd immediately demand you'd be brought to jail."

CJ felt herself get red with anger. "So, what you're saying is that you don't have faith in them?"

"No, I do… But, ehm, I believe that it'll be better if I talk to them face to face first…" Archer shrugged.

CJ couldn't help but feel a little nervous and scared at the prospect of showing up before Mal unannounced. "Are you sure about this?"

"Definitely." Archer waved her worries aside. "They're good people and you're a good person, you should get along fine."

CJ smirked a little. "I wouldn't call me a good person. Not yet at least."

"I will be with you." Archer reassured her, grasping her hand tightly. "Don't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid. Just, ehm, nervous…" CJ mumbled.

"I probably get that…" Archer murmured. "You just need to have hope…"

CJ just nodded and put her head on Archer's shoulder again, where she stayed the rest of the ride. Far too soon, the smooth asphalt under the tires of the car gave way for some sort of gravel and suddenly they had to stop in front of a richly decorated gate.

CJ's hands felt clammy and her breath stocked for a moment as she heard the mumbling of deep voices outside the vehicle followed by the soft shrieking noise of the gate opening. The car began rolling again as they drove up a long driveway surrounded by green fields of grass and gardens with a rich variety of colorful flowers. All of the sudden, a large building doomed up in CJ's window.

"What's that?" She asked in complete awe.

"Beast Castle, the home of the ruling monarchs." Archer told her. "And we are about to meet the people in front…"

Only now did CJ spot a group of people standing in front of the castle. Even from such a distance, there was no mistaking the rich purple of Mal's hair and clothing. CJ started breathing heavily and her grip on her armrest tightened.

"Don't be afraid." Archer shushed in her ear. "Let, ehm… Let me go out first and try to explain some things, alright?"

"Fine…" CJ answered breathless.

When the car eventually stopped with a small jerk, CJ felt as tense and uncomfortable as she ever head. Archer unbuckled his seatbelt and shimmied in front of her so her could get out first. Due to the darkened windows, no one from outside had spotted her yet.

Before either of the suits could step out, Archer already enthusiastically threw open his own door and nearly jumped out, still concealing CJ from outside view.

"Haha, guess who!?" He shouted once his feet hit the ground.

"You lucky asshole!" CJ heard someone reply and she saw a brown-haired guy step towards Archer and give him a tight hug. "You kept us waiting."

"I heard I wasn't the only one. Shame, you know I love to be the center of attention." Archer grinned.

"You had us extremely worried." A tall, skinny boy with auburn hair told Archer, though he was unable to conceal a smirk.

"Good to see you too, Lance." Archer laughed as he pulled the boy into a hug of his own.

"Any exciting adventures to share with us?" Mal then asked as she walked up to him.

CJ felt a stab of jealousy as she hugged Archer as well, but he let go of her relatively quickly.

"Actually…" Archer began, taking a deep breath, "I do have something to, ehm show you… But you need to stay calm…"

"What is it?" Another guy with dark hair and a cast around his leg asked.

"You need to stay calm, promise me that." Archer urged them, pointing his finger.

"Archer?" The brown-haired guy questioned. "What's going on?"

Archer sighed and glanced quickly in CJ's direction. "Come on out."

CJ's heart got stuck in her throat, her entire body felt rigid. She couldn't move.

"Come on out." Archer repeated with a bit more urgency.

CJ slowly undid her seatbelt, took another deep breath and got up to step out of the car. The first person she saw was Archer, who smiled at her. Everything around her seemed to slow down as she took his hand before stepping out completely.

When she looked over the small crowd of people that had formed, she saw that most had a somewhat dumb-founded or perplexed look on their face, while only two looked at her in a different way.

CJ had not noticed Evie before this moment. She stood a little behind Mal and looked at CJ like she couldn't believe her eyes.

Mal on the other hand, looked at CJ in precisely the way she remembered, with anger and disgust. For a single second, she and CJ looked at each n complete mutual hatred. Mal's eyes glowed the faintest sense of green, her nostrils flared and her lips trembled.

"Get her…" Mal grunted, her eyes now glowing a bright green.

"Mal, what…" The brown-haired guy beside her mumbled.

"Get her!" Mal shrieked, pointing a trembling finger towards her before several sparks erupted from it.

CJ saw it coming, and immediately grabbed for the sword that still hung around her hip. Before she could reach it, two hands grabbed at her from her right. CJ looked back, and saw one of the suits who had driven her here grasping for her right arm.

"Hey! No!" Archer yelled, letting go of CJ and pushing the man away.

"Get her!" Mal kept on yelling and more people ran towards her and Archer.

CJ wanted to turn around and jump back in the car, but her second driver already reached for her left arm. CJ spun and kicked the guy in the leg, creating some space for herself, but was already helpless by the time she got back upright.

Half a dozen guys in suits jumped at her from all directions. Two grabbed her arms and they wrenched them up her back as she was roughly shoved against the side of the car. CJ grunted from the impact but couldn't scream as she felt more hands on her body, pulling her sword away from her. CJ kept on struggling but was swiftly overpowered. She felt the cold metal of cuffs being put around her wrists as she was pulled away from the car and two pairs of hands began tightly squeezing her upper arms.

"No! No! Leave her alone! Let her go!" She heard Archer yell, but she couldn't see where he was.

"Take her away! Take her away!" Mal kept on screaming.

More voices were clearly audible, but CJ couldn't distinguish them or hear what they precisely said. One thing that was clear to her though was that everyone sounded equally panicked.

"Drive it up, we have a prisoner." CJ heard one of the suits just beside her say.

CJ kept on struggling, trying to dig her heels into the soft ground, but her captors had relatively little trouble pulling her along. Damn, why couldn't she be bigger!?

The shouting of Archer, Mal and the others grew a little more distant as another car suddenly drove up to her and her captors. This car was completely black and had a large back door. Once the car stopped, two suits in sunglasses opened the back door, showing the inside and the barred windows on the side. Her captors hoisted CJ up by her arms and threw her roughly into the car. She coughed for a second as she landed painfully on her side, but quickly scrambled back upright with her still cuffed wrists.

She looked outside, and immediately saw Mal's flashing eyes amidst the fray, as well as a still yelling Archer who was being held back by seven men.

Another man in a suit stepped into the wagon and pushed CJ further into the vehicle. CJ made one attempt to stand up and jump out but was roughly pushed back down.

"CJ!" She heard someone scream from outside.

Looking back, she managed to see Archer's desperate, tear-filled eyes for one more time before the doors loudly slammed shut and she was suddenly all alone again.

* * *

"How dare you!? How dare you!? She did not do anything wrong!" Archer screamed at the top of his lungs.

Ben and Mal gave each other an uncomfortable look before turning back to Archer. After his somewhat dramatic return to Auradon, they eventually met up in Ben's office to discuss things, or, that had been the plan.

"Archer, do you have any idea who that was?" Mal asked in an icy tone.

"Of course I do! But I'm telling you that you're wrong for locking her up!" Archer yelled, pacing around feverishly through the room.

"Who was that!?" Ben demanded to know, pointing towards the windows and the gardens outside Beast Castle.

"That was CJ Hook." Mal answered before Archer could.

"C-CJ Hook!? T-the daughter of Captain Hook, you mean? How did she end up here?" Ben asked, totally perplexed.

"That's something I'd like to know as well." Mal said, turning to Archer and crossing her arms. "How did you get her to turn herself in?"

"It's not like that!" Archer pleaded, nearly tearing the hair out of his head. "You've got it all wrong… She's not bad…"

"Not bad!?" Mal exclaimed incredulously. "Not bad!? You have no idea about the things she has done!"

"I do, well… Sort of… But you have to let her go…" Archer replied.

"Not a chance!" Mal scoffed.

"Goddammit! You need to listen to me!" Archer yelled, getting up to Mal. "Things have changed! You need to release her!"

"Archer!" Ben shouted, stepping closer to him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Look… I mean, what happened? Why is she here? Why was she with you? Inform us first…"

"Not until CJ's been released!" Archer demanded.

"Oh, she deserves much worse than this." Mal grunted.

"Don't say that! Stop saying that!" Archer sneered.

"Archer!" Ben repeated. "Tell us what happened!"

Archer gave both Ben and Mal an irritated look before he finally caved. "Okay… We, ehm, we were teleported alongside each other… We appeared on a mountain top, covered in snow."

"This was after the fight? How did CJ teleport alongside you?" Ben asked.

"She jumped into the portal with me at the last second, that threw us off." Archer explained.

"Why did she do that?" Mal asked.

"To catch me… We had, ehm, a bit of a rivalry going on." Archer snickered.

"So, what happened after?" Ben got back to the subject.

"We decided to work together, at least, until we got off the mountain." Archer told them.

"Why would you want to work together, especially with her of all people?" Mal asked, crossing her arms.

Archer tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice. "We were on a freaking mountain. I had no idea where we were or how we could get down. We decided to set aside our differences so we could survive, and we did. It took over a day, but we eventually made it down."

"Must have been tough…" Ben murmured.

"Yeah, there were some, ehm, perilous situations, let me tell you…" Archer mumbled in reply.

"You, having to cross mountains, I could never have imagined that." Ben added.

"Why?" Mal pulled up and eyebrow.

"He's afraid of heights, like real bad." Ben explained.

"Really?" Mal exclaimed in surprise, though there was a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Yes, but that is not the point here." Archer growled, trying to change the subject. "The point is that CJ and I got to talking on our way down. She's been having a really tough time with the other villains and she didn't really want to go back to them. So… I offered that she could come to Auradon…"

"Are you mad!?" Mal nearly screamed. "CJ in Auradon!? That's just about the most bonkers thing I've ever heard!"

"She thought so as well, initially." Archer replied, not really reacting to Mal's rant. "But we talked some more, and, ehm, I eventually got her to switch sides… She wants nothing more to do with Solomon, Uma or the cauldron…"

Both Ben and Mal were momentarily shocked into silence.

"You got her to switch sides?" Mal questioned, sounding disbelieving.

"Yes." Archer simply answered.

"You got CJ Hook to switch sides?" Mal went on, her tone unchanged.

"Yes…" Archer repeated with a large sigh.

"Impossible." Mal simply commented. "She's a nutcase who doesn't just 'switch sides'."

"Jesus, Mal…" Archer sighed. "You're just blinded by your past rivalry. You refuse to believe someone you hate can change for the better."

Mal's look soured considerably. "You have no idea what you're talking about. I know her and I know that she cannot be trusted. Whatever you think happened or whatever she promised you is just a lie."

"What part was the lie!?" Archer fell out at her. "I convinced her to switch sides, I promised her that she would not be thrown in prison. She has done nothing wrong throughout this whole ordeal! If anything, you and I are the bad guys here…"

"Archer…" Ben groaned.

"Ben, be with me on this one." Archer pleaded. "You always believe people deserve a second chance… Hell, look at who you're standing next to right now! CJ wanted to switch sides, to come to Auradon…"

"She's lying." Mal repeated. "She probably just wanted to get here to spy on us for her villain friends. She's not our ally, she's an enemy!"

Ben bit his lip as he seemingly pondered the situation. "Mal's got a point, Archer…"

"What!?" Archer exclaimed.

"We don't know her, apart from the fact she came here with a band of villains. She has taken part in attacks against Auradon… I mean, why would you even stand up for her?" Ben calmly explained.

"She regrets it! She never wanted, ehm, all this! She was forced by the other villains to take part! They threatened her life! I want to help her!" Archer ranted.

"Lies…" Mal sneered. "Look at you, she has you wrapped around her finger…"

"They're not lies!" Archer grunted, feeling his temper rise.

"That's what CJ does, Archer!" Mal pleaded. "She uses her looks and a flip of her hair to make people her docile pets!"

"That's only what you think of her!" Archer pointed his finger.

"Wait, Archer, wasn't CJ Hook the one who stabbed you in the leg?" Ben suddenly asked in a perplexed tone.

Archer started blushing. "Ehm, yeah… What of it?"

"And you want to help her?" Ben questioned.

"T-that's in the past… I mean… M-mal tried to take over the kingdom once!" Archer pointed out.

"Don't you dare!" Mal snapped.

"Archer!" Ben warned.

"All I'm saying is that people change! Y-you just… Listen to what she has to say… She could give us valuable information… Just, ehm, just think about how it would be to have her on our side…" Archer pleaded.

"She will never be on our side." Mal groaned. "CJ would never consciously decide to team up with me."

"But she did." Archer tried to reassure her. "It took, ehm, some time but eventually she realized she had no other option… The other villains hate her, she's simply their whipping post… On the isle, there is, ehm, her sister… Who I believe wants her dead…"

"Harriet…" Mal mumbled. "Yeah, they don't like each other…"

"See!" Archer pointed out. "CJ knew what coming here would mean, so she's prepared to fully commit herself to our cause…"

Ben's look seemed to soften, but Mal's remained stubbornly displeased.

"She's a snake, she can't be trusted." Mal eventually hissed.

"Oh my god, get over it, will you!?" Archer yelled, grabbing for his hair. "I don't know whatever happened between you and her, but bury the fucking hatchet!"

"Archer!" Ben roared, stepping between him and Mal. "Get a hold of yourself!"

"She is about to risk someone's life over a petty feud!" Archer yelled, pointing at Mal.

"It's not a petty feud, I can assure you that." Mal grunted, having grown a little red with anger.

"What happened? You can move past it, I'm sure you can…" Archer whined.

"I don't need to tell you anything. CJ cannot stay here. We'll either send her back to the isle or lock her up somewhere else." Mal told him.

"I won't stand for it!" Archer immediately replied.

"This is not your decision to make!" Mal retorted.

"I brought her here! I will not just see her locked away like some animal!" Archer went on.

"Then you shouldn't have brought her here." Mal scoffed.

"How can you be so cruel!?" Archer asked in disgust. "You'd willingly lock up someone for life without a trial?"

"No!" Ben intervened. "Whatever her past crimes, there will be a trail before anything happens."

"It won't help her." Mal mumbled. "She'll get what she deserves…"

"Wow, and here I thought you'd judge people fairly." Archer spat.

"Archer!" Ben again warned, but Archer ignored him.

"I never took you for someone who would hold such pathetic grudges. How sad of a person do you have to be to…" Archer went on.

"Out!" Ben suddenly yelled, pointing his finger. "I will not have you insult my fiancé, your queen-to-be, like this!"

"Ben, listen to reason for god's sake!" Archer pleaded.

Mal, whose eyes gleamed green for a second, stepped around Ben and faced Archer. "I have heard enough. You can go now." She spoke in a feigned calm tone.

Archer furiously stared between her and Ben, nostrils flared. "Then you can find yourself another general in your army!" He grunted at Ben before swiftly turning around and slamming the door on his way out, leaving a quite flustered Ben and Mal to contemplate the entire situation.

"Jesus…" Ben eventually mumbled. "Mal…"

"He'll come around…" Mal sighed. "I don't know what CJ told him, but he'll snap out of it eventually."

"He sounded pretty convinced." Ben shrugged.

"She can be very persuasive." Mal regrettably admitted. "He must have fallen for her charms."

"Archer? No, he's too smart for that." Ben shook his head.

"We'll just see I guess." Mal replied as she sat down on Ben's desk. "There's no way CJ will get through that trial with all her past crimes. She'll be back on the isle in no time."

"Archer said something about her sister on the isle wanting her dead…" Ben hesitantly recalled, sitting down behind his desk. "Is that true?"

Mal nodded. "If nothing's changed out there, then Harriet will probably still want her head on a spike."

"Quite a family, that one." Ben pointed out. "Are we sure we would want to send someone into a snake pit like that?"

"It's where she belongs." Mal answered. "She's no better than the rest."

"What if she's willing to cooperate though?" Ben hesitantly asked.

"She is not, and she will never be." Mal grunted.

"Say what if." Ben went on. "If she truly renounces the villains and is willing to aid in their capture, she could receive a reduced sentence."

"Don't even think like that!" Mal snapped. "She's a monster!"

"What happened between you two?" Ben quickly asked in a dark tone. "You've never spoken of it, and from what I've heard Archer doesn't know too."

"That's because it's private." Mal mumbled as she crossed her arms.

"Mal…" Ben sighed. "If either of us is to pass judgement on this girl, then I'll need to know the facts… Otherwise, I can't with a right mind let you make a decision when you're obviously prejudiced towards a certain outcome."

"Prejudiced!? Ben, I know who this person is! Sorry if I believe I know how to best handle people like her!" Mal ranted.

"Still…" Ben replied. "Mal, I am king and your husband-to-be… Please tell me this…"

Mal sighed as she looked into Ben's pleading eyes. "Fine… But you won't like it…"

Ben nodded solemnly. "Alright, start from the beginning. When did this whole rivalry start?"

* * *

CJ was pretty much used to the solitude now and even though she found herself in an unknown prison she was surprisingly calm. She had expected this. There was no way Mal was just gonna welcome her with open arms. Archer may have had his talks, but she had never been fully certain that his involvement would help the situation that much.

So, she was not really surprised that she was now locked up in what in Auradon probably counted as a dungeon. Actually, the room wasn't half bad. There were two bunk beds with comfortable but not remarkable matrasses, a large window blocked of by heavy iron bars, a small desk, a sink and a small room to the side of the cell with a shower and toilet. Really, this cell was more comfortable and better furnished than most houses on the isle, so CJ wasn't that unhappy.

Most of her despair came from her renewed doubts about Archer. She had been so sure that they would work things out together, but now she was in prison again. An eerie voice in the back of her head told her that Archer betrayed her, that this was his trap from the start, but as time passed CJ managed to ignore this voice more and more. Archer never wanted this for her. He had tried to stop the people from taking her, but they had just been with too many. CJ recounted all their time together and came to the conclusion that there was no way he would have betrayed her.

The minutes ticked by on the wall clock opposite her cell and CJ felt herself get more and more paranoid as nothing was happening.

There wasn't a guard or something posted outside her cell, these all stood by the entrance of her cell block. CJ had already peeked out of the bars and looked around, but found herself to currently be the only prisoner. This didn't surprise her, since Auradon sent everyone who didn't obey their stupid laws to the isle.

CJ hoped to the best of her ability that she would not be sent back to the isle. She'd rather spend the rest of her days in this moldy cell than be delivered to her sister's doorstep.

It had been hours since she had been arrested by those Auradonian officials, and CJ furiously hoped that Archer could somehow convince the people on the outside to let her go, or that he could bring her any news really.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of the heavy iron door at the top of the stairs to her right opening, followed by footsteps down the stone steps.

CJ audibly exhaled when she saw Archer emerge at the bottom of the stairs. Their eyes met, and CJ saw a vague smile appear on his face.

"Leave us, please." Archer told the security guard who had accompanied him.

"Ehm, we've had our orders, sir." The guard replied. CJ was a bit perplexed by the fact that this older man spoke to Archer with such an undertone of respect.

"I overrule those orders, get back to your post." Archer ordered, putting a bit more authority in his voice.

The guard gulped before bowing and heading back up the stairs, leaving Archer alone with CJ.

"Are you hurt?" He immediately asked as he nearly ran towards the bars of her cell.

"I'm fine." CJ sighed as she moved towards the bars as well.

"I tried to stop them, I'm so sorry CJ…" Archer wailed as he clutched the iron bars.

"I know, and I don't blame you for anything…" CJ mumbled as he closed both her hands around one of Archer's. "I kinda saw this coming…"

"Well, you were right about Mal, she holds quite a grudge…" Archer said as he bit his lip.

"Does she want me dead?" CJ asked with only a small hint of fear.

"No, that never came up." Archer reassured her. "Mal wants to either lock you up for good or send you back to the isle."

"Lock me up here then, I never want to go back!" CJ hastily pleaded.

"No, no, no…" Archer rambled. "Nothing's certain at the moment… I'm still working on things and I might even be able to get you out completely. I, ehm, just need some time…"

"Well, it's not like I can go anywhere else." CJ gestured at her cell.

Archer snickered a little. "There might also be a trial… In which case you'll have the opportunity to defend yourself. The people will surely let you go once they see you're willing to help capture the villains."

"Do you truly believe that?" CJ asked in a bit of a scared tone.

"I have to stay positive." Archer shrugged. "I was raised to believe we practice justice here in Auradon, and I want it to remain that way."

"I was raised to believe Auradon doesn't care for us villains…" CJ doubted.

"Times can change in that regard, look at Mal and…" Archer began, but immediately quit talking once he saw CJ's face.

"Dealing with Mal is even worse than dealing with Auradon for me." CJ snorted.

"But it's a start." Archer pressed on. "Mal is not allowed to make this decision on her own. You and I will convince enough people you belong in Auradon and we can deal with Mal afterwards."

"Alright, say I do get into Auradon…" CJ contemplated. "Can I not just ignore Mal for the rest of my life?"

"What happened between you two, CJ?" Archer asked in a bit of a pervasive tone.

CJ gave Archer a sideward glance. "I'm not sure you should know."

"Come on…" Archer whined. "I'm trying to help you here, but you won't even let me know the complete story!"

"It's complicated!" CJ sneered.

"Then take your time then." Archer replied as he leaned against the bars. "Like you said, you can't go anywhere anyway."

CJ sighed deeply as she walked back towards her bed and sat down. "Do you want the whole version?"

"Yes please." Archer answered.


	36. Chapter 36: History Part I

**Question, would you rather have this story go on until its end within Part 2, in which case it will probably be around 80 chapters long in the end. Or would you rather I start a third part, which will also be around 40 chapters long?**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 36: History Part I

Dead leaves crunched under Mal's feet as she hastily walked through some of the abandoned streets of the isle. It was unusually cold for this time of year, so her breath already produced some small clouds of vapor. Darkness was settling in soon, which was perfect for the job she and her gang had planned.

Mal looked around at the run-down houses and barred windows and saw no one, not a single soul too curious for their own good. This was also perfect. The less people knew of her and her gang's current exploits, the less trouble they'd experience afterwards.

At one point, Mal took a left turn to a part of the isle she had seldom visited. There was nearly nothing here. Nothing worth stealing, no one worth mentioning. Most houses here were even more run-down than those on the rest of the isle. The people who lived here had been villains in earlier times, but had abandoned the villain's cause during the war. Mal had never been sure why the 'good guys' had sent them here anyway, maybe they just liked locking people up? But anyway, since these people were basically against their cause, no one from the isle really bothered to check on them. Similarly, these people rarely left their part of the isle in fear of the retribution they would probably receive from the rest.

Mal wasn't here for any of them though, her destination was just a little further. Under the large bridge that connected the so-called slumps to the rest of the isle's main city. The bridge served no real purpose, since there was no water running underneath it. It was now mainly used as a garbage dump, like many other parts of the isle.

As she slowly walked towards the underside of the bridge, careful not to be seen, she suddenly heard soft voices and could barely make out the silhouettes of the people she was planning on seeing.

"Hey, purple…" One of them said once she walked into view.

"Uma…" Mal replied with a smirk before fist bumping her friend.

"Followed?" Uma asked curtly.

"Nah, you know me." Mal answered, crossing her arms. She then surveyed the other two people there. "Hi Harry…"

"Gorgeous…" Harry Hook mumbled, flashing his wide grin.

Mal rolled her eyes as she approached Jay, who leaned against the nearest pillar. "You good?"

Jay shrugged. "I don't know why we're here. Why would anyone come to this part of the isle?"

"Horns said he has his reasons." Uma piped in as she stood next to Mal.

"That's what I find suspicious." Jay acknowledged.

"So far, what he said has added up." Mal shrugged.

"If what he said is true, how in the name of Chernabog has he ever found out?" Uma hissed.

"Ask him yourself." Mal scoffed as she walked further underneath the bridge and studied the gate that was barely visible there.

Years of added rubble and neglect had made the iron bars and metal fence of the gate practically invisible. The only way Mal realized that they were on the right track was the large keyhole still noticeable and the enormous sign that still clearly hung above her head.

' _Get Lost_!' The sign read. Not very subtle.

As the rest of her crew was currently whispering among themselves, Mal studied the entrance a little more. Everything was rusty and dirty, as if no one had entered this place in years. One particularly dirty and dusty metal plate which was nailed to the gate caught her eyes. Mal dusted off the plate to reveal the text ' _Beware of dog_ ' along with an image of a three-headed dog. Mal scoffed to herself, if this was truly Hades' hideout, he did not do his best to hide it.

"Where are the others?" Mal asked as she turned back to her companions.

"Horns lives on the other side, he might take a while." Uma suggested.

"You didn't bring Gil?" Mal questioned.

"That buggerin' oaf would sooner be a liability than of any help." Harry grinned, not particularly considerate.

"We left him at his home with the message that he should try not to disturb anyone." Uma told Mal.

"Bring anything special? I brought smoke bombs just in case." Mal told her.

"Me too, just thought they might come in handy." Uma replied.

Mal just nodded as she walked away from the gate and into the developing moonlight.

"You okay?" Jay asked.

"Fine, just eager to get this over with." Mal murmured.

"I get you." Jay replied, slightly punching her upper arm. "Still, imagine if we pull this off."

"I do wonder how mom would react." Mal said with a somewhat dreamy expression.

"Dad will probably just be glad if I bring some money in." Jay shrugged.

"This job isn't about money, it's more a matter of respect." Mal told him.

"A small consolation then." Jay grumpily murmured.

Before Mal could react, what looked like a shadow jumped down from above her and landed right behind her. Mal felt a hand on either of her shoulders before she suddenly heard a voice in her ear.

"Hey, beautiful…" Solomon whispered as he squeezed her shoulders.

"Please…" Mal sighed as she twisted herself loose. "I have Harry to give me meaningless compliments."

"Aren't mine so much more meaningful though?" Solomon grinned as he spread his arms. His hair dark and unkept, his grin wide and one of his eyes sparkling sinisterly. The other one was currently covered by a rag that served as a bandage following the little souvenir his father had given him some time ago. "Uma, Jay, Hook…" He went on to greet the others.

"Horns…" Uma replied as she crossed her arms.

Solomon's look darkened for a moment before he grinned at Mal again. "Tough crowd, eh?"

"How's the eye?" Mal asked.

"Healing like a ripe peach, soon I'll be as handsome as I've ever been." Solomon smirked.

"As if you ever were." Mal squinted at him.

Solomon chose to ignore that comment. "So, when do we start?"

"Did you not bring anyone?" Mal asked, pulling up her eyebrow.

"Naturally, she was just behind me a moment ago." Solomon answered, looking back.

As if on cue, Mad Maddy came running up to them, her purple hair flowing behind her.

"Hey guys…" She panted, bending down to lean on her knees.

"Where were you? I told you to follow me." Solomon snapped.

"You just ran off! What, did you want to make a grand entrance or something?" Maddy retorted.

"Oh, he tried to." Mal smirked, giving Solomon and exasperated look.

"Ugh, whatever. Just pretend like you weren't impressed." Solomon waved his hand.

"Zevon didn't wanna come?" Uma asked.

"He said he felt sick." Jay answered, though the annoyance dripped from his voice.

"When are we gonna dump that rat?" Uma whined.

"He's good with potions." Solomon shrugged.

"He's still a rat." Uma snapped.

"Then just be glad he isn't here." Solomon sneered.

Uma rolled her eyes but didn't rebuttal.

"Are we ready?" Maddy asked, enthusiastically rubbing her hands.

"Just one more thing, and let's hope she won't let us down this time." Uma sneered.

"She knows what she's doing." Harry jumped in, rolling his eyes at Uma.

"Please, I've seen that girl fall off of everything. I wouldn't be surprised if she got caught." Uma went on.

"She knows Freddie well, who cares if she'd get caught." Harry shrugged.

"Because my guess is that they'd rather not have the key stolen." Uma replied.

"It's not stealing… We'll just place back the key once we're done. It'll be like it never left." Jay smirked.

"How did you know about the key anyway?" Mal asked Solomon.

"I have my sources." Solomon shrugged in response.

"That's not an answer." Mal sneered, squinting her eyes.

"Does it matter how I got my intel? What matters is that it's correct." Solomon suggested.

"Fine, but don't go expecting a larger part of the cut." Mal snapped.

Solomon's look darkened again, but he refrained from making any snarky comments.

And so, the crew waited largely in silence. Every once in a while, the silence was disturbed by the cawing of a lone crow or the creaking of a nearly collapsing house. Mal kept her eyes open for any sign that anyone knew they were there. If someone like Harriet Hook found out that she and her gang were planning a coop like this, then they'd be in trouble.

The loud sound of tumbling garbage got everyone's attention and most quickly reached for their weapons. Mal studied the darkness and eventually saw a figure run down the same path she had previously used.

"Hey everyone!" CJ enthusiastically called out as she skipped in their direction, her blonde hair in pig tails and a broad smile on her face. "Hey bro!" She then said to Harry.

"Sis…" Harry smirked in reply.

"Do you have it?" Uma impatiently asked, holding out her hand.

"I certainly do." CJ happily replied as she reached for something that hung around her neck. After a bit of fumbling, she took out a key on a string.

Mal and the others moved closer and they saw the skull engraved on the base of the key. This had to be the one.

"Facilier give you any trouble?" Harry asked.

"I don't think they noticed me. Freddie showed me the secret entrances to her dad's place long ago." CJ boasted.

"Secret entrances?" Solomon questioned, sounding interested.

"Talk about it later." Mal grunted as she snatched the key out of CJ's hand and studied it.

"So, what's the plan?" CJ asked, still looking around with that perpetual enthusiasm.

"We go in, snatch the ember and get out." Solomon shortly explained.

"Any, ehm, specifics? Things to look out for?" CJ asked.

"The sign says there's a dog." Mal pointed out.

"Ah, too bad we didn't bring little Carlos." Solomon smirked, examining the sign.

"Shut up." Jay sneered. "What do you think, Mal?"

"Well… It could just be an empty threat… I mean, this nutjob hasn't left this place for years basically. How is he supposed to feed a dog?" Mal questioned.

"Where could he have even gotten a dog?" Uma added.

"I really don't think there is a dog." Solomon shrugged.

"There are bound to be some traps though, so everyone keep your eyes peeled." Mal warned the others.

"I know the general layout of the room where the ember is kept, but I have no clue how we're supposed to get there." Solomon spoke.

"Helpful." Uma scoffed.

"I've not seen you make any noticeable contributions." Solomon retorted.

"Shut up for once!" Mal snapped at both Uma and Solomon. "We'll have plenty of time to bicker after the job's done. First step, finding out if this freaking key even works."

The others nodded and together they stepped towards the entrance.

"I went through all that trouble to get it, so it better work." CJ moped.

Mal slowly breathed in and out before bringing the key to the lock. She pushed it in and felt a satisfying click before she turned it. The rusted lock made a screeching noise as Mal opened it. The gate did not open easily, having seemingly almost rusted shut, but with help of her accomplices, Mal eventually managed to push it aside.

Behind the gate, they found what appeared to be a dark tunnel, stretching for what seemed like quite a distance. It had the looks of an abandoned mineshaft, with beams of old wood still keeping the ceiling from collapsing.

"Anyone bring a flashlight, or a torch?" Mal whispered.

Jay tapped her on the shoulder and handed her a worn-down flashlight, which nonetheless did the job.

Mal pointed the flashlight forward and a few rats quickly scurried away from the light. The tunnel seemed endless from this point of view, with no torches or anything to light up the place. Contrary to outside though, the tunnel appeared clean.

"Jeez, how long is this tunnel?" Harry asked.

"Not a clue, could be pretty long though." Solomon answered.

"Where does it lead?" Maddy went on.

"It's heading towards the city, could be the sewers." Mal suggested.

"Haven't we already combed the sewers though?" Jay questioned.

"The isle is full of surprises." Mal shrugged. "Alright, let's just keep going."

And so, the group set off into the darkness. Solomon and Harry also provided flashlights, meaning they had a pretty steady visual of where they were going. The tunnel was relatively narrow but the ceiling was high enough that they didn't need to duck or anything. They stayed as close to the walls as possible, carefully watching for traps or trip wires, but they found nothing.

For upwards of fifteen minutes the group snuck through the passage in complete silence, safe for the crunching of earth under their boots. The tunnel went a little downwards, but this was not really an obstacle for any of them as they were all used to traversing much rougher terrain.

Eventually, after Solomon's first complaints of the length of their journey, there was a turn followed immediately by what looked like a cave entrance at the side of the tunnel. This place was lit by some smoldering torches and a vague light from further inside the cave. What really got everyone's attention though, was the sudden sound of dogs barking.

"What the hell!?" Harry called out as he pressed himself against the side of the tunnel. "Dogs!?"

"Shit!" Uma hissed. "What do we do now?"

"We stick to the plan!" Solomon snapped. "We'll just, ehm, examine the situation before drawing any conclusions."

"He's right, we can't chicken out now." Mal nodded. "We'll either have to sneak past those dogs or get them to shut up. Jay, CJ… You're in front and be quiet."

Jay and CJ both nodded before slipping past Mal into the cave's entrance. The others soon followed. The cave showed more signs of someone occupying it, with garbage bags and broken items strewn about.

The path inside the cave had what looked like a natural staircase carved out of the rock, which made it easy for the group to head further in.

The loud barking of the dogs was echoed by the cave, making it nearly impossible to distinguish where the sound came from. The group still stayed close to the walls as to not accidentally activate any possible traps.

They still stayed silent, though Mal realized that their whispers would probably be inaudible with the constant dog barking going on. Jay and CJ were the best sneakers of the group, and it only made sense that they did the scouting work.

All of the sudden, Jay stopped and held out his hand. Everyone froze and tried to retreat back into the shadows as best as possible. Mal waved her hand to get Jay's attention and he quickly, but silently, approached her.

"What's going on?" Mal whispered, her voice drowned out by the ever-present dog barking.

"A trip wire." Jay replied, pointing to the ground where an almost indistinguishable steel wire was connected from one side of the wall to another.

"What does it do?" Uma asked as she joined them at Mal's side.

"Don't know, but I don't intend to find out." Mal shrugged before carefully stepping over the wire. "Pass on the message."

As Uma went on to tell the rest of the trip wire, Mal joined Jay and CJ as they moved further down the cave.

"This is very exciting." CJ suddenly said to Mal as they moved further down.

"You think?" Mal smirked, letting her hand move over the slimy looking walls.

"Thanks for letting me join, I want to prove myself!" CJ hastily added, keeping her voice soft enough that it was still overshadowed by the dogs.

"You'll get your chance." Mal replied without looking back as the cave suddenly lead to a broader opening and a more spacious part.

Mal blinked a little as even the soft light of the now present torches and few lousy light bulbs felt bright to her. It was obvious that they were now in someone's living quarters, judging from the many pieces of beat-up furniture, shabby looking rugs and other household items.

The barking sound was now almost deafening, but Mal could still not see where it came from. She scanned every corner of the room for signs of the animals, but found herself completely dumb-founded when she saw no sign of any sort of canine.

Someone then hit her on the shoulder. Mal looked back and saw Jay pointing at something. When she looked over, she saw a large record player and several metal tubes attached to it. These pipes were obviously meant to carry the sound of the dogs throughout the cave and scare off any trespassers. Mal breathed a sigh of annoyance realizing she had been fooled but did relax to a certain extend knowing that they'd at least not have to deal with any actual dogs.

"Clever…" Solomon grinned as he examined the record player before he softly let his hand slide over Mal's back.

"Never gonna happen!" Mal sneered as she slapped his arm and walked further into the room.

"Can we turn this freaking thing off?" Maddy complained, walking over to the record player.

"No!" Mal hissed, stopping Maddy dead in her tracks. "Don't touch it!"

"But it's loud." Maddy complained.

"But he put that shit on, we do not need to be noticed!" Mal went on, and Maddy rolled her eyes before stepping away.

Mal looked around again and there were more trinkets here than she initially noticed, but most were still useless or not worth her time, so she simply kept on looking and listening. Aside from the still constant barking, Mal tried to listen for any signs that Hades might be awake and notice their presence.

"Where is it?" She hissed to Solomon who similarly studied the cave.

"There…" Solomon replied as he pointed to a separate, smaller room closed off by a simple curtain. "It's supposed to be his bedroom and he keeps the ember with him."

"Wait here then, Jay and CJ will handle it." Mal told him with a hint of authority in her voice.

"As your highness commands." Solomon grumpily mumbled as he gestured for the others to stand back.

Uma, Harry and Maddy stayed back a bit, hidden in the corners of the room to keep from alerting someone to their presence. Mal beckoned Jay and CJ, who rapidly joined her by her side.

"It should be in there." Mal said, pointing to the separate room. "We don't know if Hades is there or if he's awake. Scout it out carefully before taking action. If you see an opportunity, take it! If you don't, we regroup and think of something."

Jay and CJ both nodded before scurrying off to the other room. Mal looked on nervously as both of them disappeared under the curtain. She could not hear what happened on the other side, nor could she see it. The continuous sound of the dogs barking on the record really began pulling at her nerves.

The other members of her gang simply stood by as well, with either tense or annoyed looks on their faces. Mal really wanted to move to the other room and help the others out, but knew that her presence would only complicate things. Furthermore, she had complete faith that Jay and CJ would successfully complete this mission.

"You really think those baboons can accomplish this?" Solomon whispered to her, nervously rubbing his hands.

"If you're asking me if I trust them, then yes." Mal coolly replied.

"We coulda just done this together, split the profits fifty-fifty…" Solomon went on, leaning towards her a little.

"I'd rather kiss a poisonous slug." Mal stuck her tongue out at him.

Solomon shrugged. "Well, don't get mad at me for trying."

Mal didn't reply, choosing to ignore Solomon and focus on the mission again. It felt as though several hours crawled by, while in reality they were probably just a few minutes. Through the barking, Mal could eventually distinguish the slightest of bumping sounds in the other room.

"Quiet!" She hissed at the others as she raised her hand.

Everyone kept their mouths shut but Maddy probably misunderstood the message because she walked over to the record player and removed the needle from the record.

The following silence was deafening and Mal and the others present stared at Maddy in a panic.

"You said quiet!" Maddy hissed, obviously flustered.

A loud crash from the other room practically made them jump.

"Who are you!?" A male voice roared.

Not a second later, both Jay and CJ jumped through the curtain and began running for the exit.

"We got it!" CJ yelled as she ran past Mal.

Mal, who was momentarily dumb-founded, simply looked back at the curtain. Someone tore open the curtain, ripping it in the process, and Mal saw a tall man with a giant mohawk of blue hair, Hades…

Hades stared furiously into the room currently filled with children. His eyes suddenly met Mal's and she saw a confused expression appear on his face.

"Take that!" Uma suddenly yelled as she through one of her smoke bombs right at Hades, who promptly disappeared in a gust of blue smoke.

"Run!" Jay yelled as he snatched Mal's wrist and began dragging her along.

"Do you have it?" Mal asked panicky.

"Yes!" Jay hastily replied before shoving something into Mal's hand.

Mal took a second to take to examine the object, which was a shiny blue rock. She then took out her own smoke bomb and tossed it behind her. Another gust of smoke, this one green, merged with the blue one to make a nearly opaque cloud of colored mist.

Mal then joined up with the others to run away as fast as she could. Solomon and Maddy were up front, followed at a small distance by Uma and Harry, and finally by Jay, CJ and herself.

"Run! Keep running!" Harry yelled at them as they sprinted up the stone stairs.

All of the sudden, a weird snaring sound was heard followed by a loud click and the stone path they had all been walking on suddenly disappeared under their feet. Everyone yelled out in surprise as they fell close to eight feet and smacked down on a rough stone floor.

"Jesus!" Mal heard Solomon exclaim as she took a moment to examine her surroundings.

She was laying in what was basically a pit which was obviously meant for unwelcome intruders who came down this path. She was surrounded by walls on all sides and below her was a hard, stone ground. Uma, Harry, Jay and CJ had fallen down with her, but Solomon and Maddy had somehow managed to stay standing at the top.

"That damn trip wire!" Maddy called out as she looked down at the others.

"You okay?" Mal asked as she scrambled back up.

"Fine." Jay grunted as he pushed Harry off of him.

"Do you have the ember?" Solomon asked from above them.

"Yes!" Mal answered in an agitated tone as she showed the blue rock in her hand.

"Give me your hand, I'll pull you up!" Solomon hastily said as he went to his knees and reached down.

Mal made a small jump and grasped his hand before he pulled her up. Just as she grabbed the ledge of the pit, Solomon's hold on her wrist suddenly tightened severely.

"Ow! What the…" Mal exclaimed.

"Thank you for that." Solomon grinned evilly as he wrenched the blue stone out of Mal's hand.

"Solomon!" Mal shrieked before he threw back her hand, making her fall back into the pit where she was caught by Jay.

"Solomon!" Uma screamed as she scrambled back upright.

"Cheers, guys!" Solomon saluted before he and Maddy quickly ran off, leaving the others to their fate.

"You fucking bastard!" Harry yelled after them.

"What do we do!?" CJ asked nearly hysterical.

"Give me a boost, quick!" Jay urged Harry, who held out his hands so that Jay could use them to jump up to the ledge. Due to his athleticism, Jay had no trouble pulling himself up before he could reach down again and pull Harry up alongside him.

"Mal! Come on!" Jay snapped as he reached down again for her to grab his hand.

Beside her, Harry had stuck out his hand towards CJ, but Uma grabbed it instead to hoist herself up.

Mal struggled against the slippery side of the pit, but Jay pulled strongly to help her get over the edge.

"Guys!" Harry suddenly yelled just as he pulled Uma out.

Everyone looked back to see a very angry looking Hades emerge at the end of the cave and hastily stomp in their direction.

"Bolt! Bolt!" Uma shouted as she pushed Harry back towards the entrance.

"Guys!" CJ screamed in a blind panic as she fruitlessly jumped up to the ledge.

Mal quickly threw herself over the ledge to reach for CJ's arms, seeing Hades approach out of the corner of her eye. Everything seemed to twist around her as tightly grasped onto CJ's wrist before trying her best to get back upright.

"Mal!" Jay yelled from behind her as he began pulling on her shoulders.

"Come on! Please!" CJ pleaded, tears in her eyes as her boots slipped against the slippery edge of the pit.

"Hold it!" Hades yelled as he came even closer.

Mal looked down into CJ's tear-filled eyes, then looked back up to see Hades almost at their position. Mal made a split-second decision and let her hand slip free from CJ's wrist, who then promptly fell back down.

"Mal!" She screamed from below as she frantically struggled back upright and began clawing at the pit's wall.

"Mal!" Jay began yelling as well as he pulled at her shoulder.

Mal slipped on the ground as she limped back, away from Hades, the pit and CJ…

"Mal! Mal!" The desperate screams continued, and it took an incredible amount of willpower from Mal to keep running.

A few desperate minutes later, she and Jay again stood at the entrance of the tunnel. The moonlight barely illuminating them through, the barrier as they took a moment to catch their breaths.

"G-guys?" Someone stammered.

Mal looked up, her chest heaving in deep, panicky breaths, and saw Harry Hook and Uma stand near the entrance as well, their eyes wide with shock.

"Where's CJ?" Harry asked, looking behind her and Jay.

"He… H-he…" Mal panted, clutching her painful sides. "H-he came for us… We were too late…"

"She's still down there!?" Harry exclaimed, pointing at the tunnel.

"He has her, he must have…" Jay groaned.

"Fuck!" Harry cursed as he immediately stepped towards the entrance again before both Uma and Mal grabbed his arms.

"Where do you think you're going!?" Uma snapped.

"To get CJ back!" Harry scoffed.

"He'll kill you, man…" Jay sighed.

"And he'll kill her if we're not fast enough!" Harry called out.

"You'll never make it!" Uma hissed. "Let it go!"

"Let it go!? She's my sister!" Harry yelled, struggling in their grip.

"There's nothing we can do!" Mal added. "She has to fend for herself!"

"Let me go!" Harry grunted as he again tried to move towards the entrance.

"Jay!" Mal called out as her grip on Harry lessened.

Jay immediately jumped in and restrained Harry by placing an arm around his neck in a choke hold. Harry kept struggling, but Jay managed to pull him back.

Mal and Uma sighed in relief as they watched Jay and Harry continue their struggle.

"Where is he?" Mal asked coolly as she looked back at Uma.

"Fled, to his miserable den probably." Uma snarled, looking like she could burst into flames at any moment.

"We'll get him back for this… This is the end of him…" Mal fumed.

"I've got some plans… He's so gonna regret messing with us…" Uma added.

Mal looked back at the entrance of the tunnel. "Do you think she'll make it?"

"We stole his doohickey… Dude's got a right to be pissed…" Uma shrugged.

"Can we just leave her? Is that the right thing to do?" Mal asked, more to herself than to Uma.

"Who cares about what the right thing to do is?" Uma scoffed. "Better her than us is my thought."

Mal just sighed as she stepped towards the gate again and pulled it close. "Better her than us…" She mumbled as she stuck the key into the lock and closed it tight again.

* * *

"She just left you?" Archer questioned, sitting down with his back leaning against the prison bars. "She basically left you to die?"

"They probably thought so, yeah…" CJ confirmed, clearing her throat as the emotions that surfaced from telling that story almost overwhelmed her.

"How did you, ehm… D-did you escape or something?" Archer asked.

"I didn't have to… Hades, ehm… He wasn't as bad as everyone thought… He let me go willingly eventually…" CJ explained.

"He wasn't angry that you stole his ember?" Archer went on.

"It was a fake…" CJ told him. "A decoy he planted specifically in case someone wanted to steal it."

"So, where's the real ember?" Archer asked.

"I think he still has it. No one ever tried to screw with Hades again, I'm not even sure if any of the isle inhabitants still know where he lives. He never goes out and no one ever visits him." CJ shrugged.

"How do you know all this?" Archer frowned.

"After, ehm, the failed robbery… I became somewhat of an errant-girl for him, you know? If he needed something he couldn't get himself he'd contact me and I'd try to get it for him." CJ recounted.

"You helped the guy who almost killed you?" Archer exclaimed in surprise.

"He never tried to kill me. If anything, he was the only one that night who didn't hurt me. Sometimes, when I was really low on money, he'd offer me jobs just to help me out, or that's what I believe." CJ explained.

Archer didn't reply, but nodded along anyway, seemingly very intrigued with CJ's story.

"Actually, the night of the robbery he simply sat down with me, made me some tea and we just talked a bit before he let me go…" CJ remembered.

"Oh…" Archer pondered. "So, how did everyone react when you got out?"

"Well… Harry was just happy at first when I wasn't dead…" CJ began. "Solomon screwed over everyone so we just kinda ignored him… Things were, ehm, awkward with Uma and Mal… Uma had basically accepted that I had died and didn't really try to patch things up afterwards… Mal, ehm, felt regret I believe… At first, at least… She left me to die though, and I never forgave her for that…"

"Did you take revenge? Is that why she hates you?" Archer whispered.

CJ shook her head. "I just stayed out of her way most of the time… She reached out a couple of times, asked me along on jobs and so on, but I never let her in again."

"Then what happened? Does she hold a grudge simply because she didn't forgive you?" Archer questioned.

"No… But, ehm… There was this other thing… T-this happened later though… A-and I never actually planned it… It just happened…" CJ stammered.

"Shh, it's okay…" Archer shushed her, reaching through the bars to stroke her arm.

"It is not though…" CJ replied, placing her hand on Archer's to squeeze it. "It was horrible… Despicable really… And I know that…"

"You can tell me…" Archer tried to reassure her.

"I don't know if I can." CJ sighed. "And I don't want you to look at me differently."

"I won't." Archer assured her. "I promise."

"Very empty as promises go." CJ scoffed. "You have no idea what I'm gonna say."

"I don't believe you can say anything to make me feel different about you." Archer smirked.

CJ didn't want to show it, but that one comment nearly made her heart burst. "How is it possible you feel that way about me?"

"The fact you keep doubting how great you are might be my least favorite of your character traits." Archer grinned.

CJ blushed in response and slapped Archer's arm. "Your cockiness is definitely my least favorite one of yours."

"Ouch." Archer replied, his eyes not leaving CJ's.

"You started it." CJ shrugged.

"Please don't change the subject though." Archer got back on topic. "CJ, if I want to get you out, I'll need to know all the details…"

"But it's scary…" CJ groaned. "You'll hate me for this…"

"You'll need to take that chance. Sorry, but you have to… I do not want that entire journey down the mountain to have all been for nothing." Archer murmured.

CJ snickered a little. "Fine… I'll need you to keep an open mind though…"

"Open as a book." Archer confirmed.

CJ sighed again. "Fine… It was just after something happened between Mal and Uma…"

* * *

"You left her behind? Wow…" Ben sighed, sounding a little disappointed.

"I panicked, Ben…" Mal groaned. "We were young, inexperienced… Hades was running right for us and I just freaked! You don't understand… On the isle, we never had that 'sacrifice yourself for others' mentality."

"Still…" Ben mumbled. "It's something to wrap your head around…"

"Ben, please understand that I have changed… I would never to something like that ever again!" Mal pleaded.

"I know… I know…" Ben shushed her as he took her in his arms. "I trust you…"

"I felt horrible afterwards… I really did… But you can't show weakness like that on the isle or you'll risk losing even more." Mal moped.

"So, what happened afterwards? She's still alive, so what happened?" Ben asked.

"I don't know for sure. She just showed up again a few days later, not a scratch on her." Mal recounted. "Things had already changed a lot in those days. We just went out and banished Solomon, the prick, for betraying us like that. He was the first to split up from our gang."

"What did he do with the ember? That's a powerful magical relic." Ben inquired.

"The ember was fake. A decoy placed by Hades." Mal mumbled.

"Oh, well… That's good then, right? I mean, we wouldn't want someone like him to possess the ember." Ben offered.

"He wouldn't have been able to use it underneath the barrier anyway, and the ember is one of the few magical relics with a blood lock. Only descendants of Hades can use it, but I'm not sure if he even has any children." Mal added.

"What were you planning on doing with it?" Ben asked.

"Sell it maybe? We weren't sure. We just thought about the possible glory that could emerge from robbing someone like Hades." Mal answered.

"Oh…" Ben murmured before changing the subject. "Alright, so what about Uma?"

"Uma was just as guilty of leaving CJ behind as me, but she took it differently. She had basically accepted that CJ had died and she just plainly ignored her when she came back. Things only went worse between those two as time went on. Harry was the opposite… He was thrilled to have CJ back and spent a lot of time trying to win her over again." Mal explained.

"Did he succeed?" Ben asked.

"I was never sure. Sometimes I'd see them practically walking hand in hand, but other times they'd be clashing swords again. Really, they probably need therapy or something." Mal sneered.

"How did you react? You know, when she got back?" Ben went on.

"I was happy… You know, because I hadn't caused someone's death. I just tried to forget, I guess… I moved on, tried to get things back to normal…" Mal shrugged.

"Did you ever apologize?" Ben questioned.

"We don't apologize on the isle." Mal snapped.

"Mal…" Ben groaned.

"I'm sorry Ben, but it's the truth. I know better now, but back then we all just dealt with whatever shit got in our way." Mal explained.

"Did she see it that way? Did she not hold a grudge against you?" Ben hesitantly asked.

"Of course she did. I tried to move on, you know, pretend like things never happened… But CJ never let go and things were never the same…" Mal whined.

"I kind of get where she's coming from…" Ben mumbled, causing Mal to stare at him accusingly. "Come on Mal, you left her… You'd be pissed off if the roles were reversed."

"I know that, and I'm not angry with her for not forgiving me. I'm angry with her for very different reasons." Mal snapped.

"Go on then, what else happened?" Ben inquired.

Mal carefully breathed out for a second. "It's not a fun story."

"It doesn't need to be fun, I just want to understand." Ben told her, placing his hand on hers. "Take all the time you need."

"Right…" Mal began. "So, Uma and I just had a fight…"


	37. Chapter 37: History Part II

**After hearing your reactions, I guess I'll make this into a trilogy. Keep an eye out for future chapters for any announcements surrounding it all.**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 37: History Part II

"And what is the reason we have to do this in private?" Someone's voice asked after the door was slammed open.

CJ was startled and almost tumbled off her roof beam, which had been the spot she had chosen to brood for the day. The building she was in had half-collapsed into the sea and was thus uninhabitable but could still easily be used as a hiding place. CJ used it plenty of times whenever she had pissed someone off again or simply couldn't stand to be around anyone. This was one of those days.

The entire isle felt 'off' for the day. There have been goons of every gang running from place to place, and yet there were hardly any reports of violence of thievery. It felt as a sort of prelude to violence… A calm before the storm…

CJ had inquired with Harry about it, but he had been too busy running errands for Uma, or that was CJ's guess. CJ had not been involved with any of the gangs ever since their botched robbery of Hades' ember.

Since that faithful day, Solomon had founded his own gang of thieves on the other side of the city. That, combined with Harriet's goons and Mal and Uma's presence, made life anything but easy for CJ.

She and Harriet had never buttered well, but especially lately they've been out for each other's blood. Harry could try to mend things between them all he liked, but as far as CJ was concerned, she didn't even have a sister anymore.

Solomon had now pretty much been public enemy number one for a while. CJ didn't really mind that she didn't see him that often anymore, he had always been a complete jerk.

Mal and Uma still had their little enterprise going, though CJ thought she began to notice a few cracks here and there. The few times she had seen either Mal or Uma, they had not been together and instead seemed to constantly seek the company of others. There had been many rumors of a fight having broken out between the two at the docks, but CJ didn't know whether or not to take these seriously. In any case, it was weird to see the two seemingly at odds, since they had practically been inseparable since birth.

Mal now acted completely indifferent towards CJ, often not even acknowledging her. Uma, on the other hand, had become straight up adversarial towards her, often specifically seeking her out to torment her. Now, CJ has recently started making a habit of stealing things from Uma specifically, so she wasn't actually surprised by Uma's reaction. She did realize though, that if things would go on the way they currently were, they would probably remain locked horns til the end of times.

Anyway, CJ had thus not been in close contact with either Mal or Uma, and therefore did not know the precise standings of their relationship at the moment. Aside from some vague rumors, CJ still thought the two were close companions.

The voice that had almost scared CJ off of her roof beam apparently belonged to Mal, since CJ was clearly able to distinguish her purple locks from her position.

"Seriously! And why here? What's wrong with my hideout or the chip shop?" Mal asked, walking further into the half-collapsed building.

"There are others there, this is between you and me." Another voice answered before the sound of the door shutting was heard. CJ knew that voice all too well, it was Uma.

CJ thought about making her presence known, but her curiosity got the best of her and she stayed hidden in the shadows to closely follow the conversation.

"You made that clear, yes." Mal scoffed. "What is this about?"

"It's about us!" Uma hissed. "About what you did to me!"

"Please…" Mal exclaimed and CJ saw her rolling her eyes. "Can't you ever get over it!?"

"My hair still smells like shrimp, you witch!" Uma fell out at Mal, who took a small step back.

"Good." Mal eventually answered. "A healthy reminder then."

"Make it go away!" Uma ordered. "Make it go away!"

"First of all, how would I do that, and second, why would I do that?" Mal smirked.

"Because it's your fault! I can't go on forever smelling like a waste bucket!" Uma screamed.

"Have you tried washing it?" Mal asked with an amused giggle.

"What do you think!?" Uma fell out at her. "You need to fix this!"

"No." Mal simply answered.

"What?" Uma snapped.

"No." Mal repeated. "It's your own freaking fault and it's not my problem that you now smell worse than Jafar's breath."

"You dumped those shrimp on me!" Uma shouted.

"After you pushed me into the water!" Mal retorted.

"I got you out!" Uma pointed out.

"Yeah, after I begged you for minutes!" Mal scoffed.

"Come on, you know damn well I would not have let you drown." Uma rolled her eyes.

"But I almost did, and now you smell like shrimp. I'd say we're even." Mal shrugged.

"This won't go away!" Uma shouted.

"And I almost died!" Mal retorted. "Be glad I didn't do any worse!"

"You crazy witch!" Uma got right up to Mal. "You have no right to do this!"

"I can do whatever I want." Mal scoffed. "I'm rotten… I'm wicked… I'm queen on the isle and I can do whatever the hell I want!"

Uma looked like Mal had slapped her in the face and her mouth uselessly hung open as she struggled to say anything.

"You can't treat me like yesterday's trash!" Uma grunted. "I'm not Solomon, or CJ…"

CJ sneered inwardly at the mention of her name, but kept quiet.

"You cannot be surprised by this…" Mal replied as she crossed her arms. "How long have we been growing apart now? When was the last time we worked together well?"

"You cannot be serious about that!" Uma practically yelled. "Who even are we if we don't work together?"

"You don't care about me at all, don't pretend that you do." Mal retorted. "You only care about your image, your interests… I only fit into that picture because you're leeching off of my success."

Uma looked at Mal as though she had slapped her in the face. "You have no idea…" She began.

"I don't need you anymore, Uma!" Mal interrupted her. "You are a nuisance more than anything else!"

"You just think you're all that, eh?" Uma scoffed. "You stand in your mother's shadow and think everyone bows down to you for you?"

"Jeez, jealous much?" Mal replied.

"Afraid of the truth?" Uma asked.

"You know nothing." Mal answered. "But you have always been second-rate compared to me."

"I lead our gang too!" Uma snapped.

"You were my second in command, a puppet for me to control." Mal insulted.

"You have no idea…" Uma repeated, her jaw clenched.

"I know perfectly well!" Mal interrupted her again. "You need to understand this, get it through that thick skull of yours..." Mal said in a threatening tone as she came closer to Uma. "We're done, Uma… I don't need some sappy weakling like you in my gang…"

CJ unwillingly gasped but could not suppress a grin as she watched the two girls continue to bicker. Really, this little squabble was more amusing to her than anything else.

Uma stepped back, a perplexed expression on her face. "You call me a weakling?"

"Yes." Mal replied, crossing her arms.

"Ha, a smug little princess who can't swim is calling me a weakling?" Uma went on.

Mal blushed a little, but her expression remained condescending. "Yes."

"You're mad!" Uma grunted. "What makes you so high and mighty that you think you can just walk over me?"

"For one, my hair doesn't stink of shrimp." Mal sneered. "I don't make people cover up their noses and leave wherever I go. Does that happen to you? Well? Does it, Shrimpy?"

Before Mal or CJ could react, Uma straightened out her arms and pushed Mal roughly against her shoulders, making her fall backwards. Mal's expression changed instantly from smug condescendence into one of fear as her boots slipped over the wet, wooden floor and she tumbled backwards, over the edge of the collapsed ground and into the dark waters below it.

"Aaaahhh!" She screamed before she disappeared in a loud splash.

CJ's eyes had widened and her mouth had fallen open as she straightened up on her roof beam and stared down in complete bewilderment.

Mal came back up, sputtering and splashing wildly. Her desperate struggles could barely be called swimming as she helplessly lashed out with her arms and legs, trying in vain to clutch onto the side, which was out of her reach.

"U-Uma… Uma!" Mal screamed every time she broke the surface of the water.

Uma, who looked down contently with a broad, teasing smile, didn't answer but only watched on in delight.

"H-help! Help! Help!" Mal screamed in desperation, her now soaked clothes apparently dragging her down.

"Well, well princes… Seems like we find ourselves in a familiar situation…" Uma grinned, bending over the edge to examine Mal's attempts not to drown more closely.

"U-Uma… P-please!" Mal sputtered, her large green eyes looking up pleadingly.

"Oh, I thought you didn't need some 'soppy weakling' in your gang?" Uma teased.

"Please…" Mal whined, her head still occasionally disappearing underneath the waves.

"You brought this on yourself." Uma scoffed as she straightened back up. "Have fun…" She went on with a small wave before she turned her back to Mal and walked towards the exit, cackling evilly all the while.

"Uma! Uma!" Mal kept on screaming, watching helplessly as Uma closed the door behind her and disappeared from view.

Mal kept splashing and sputtering, her initial cries of anger having changed into hopeless sobs. CJ still hadn't moved from her position, just dangling her legs and watching on as Mal feverishly tried not to drown. She almost felt pity, seeing Mal as helpless as she was.

Against better judgement, and still not totally certain why, CJ eventually jumped down and landed right on the spot where Mal had been dumped into the water.

"Eurgh… C-… C-CJ!?" Mal sputtered once she saw her.

"Heya, Malsie… Quite a pickle you got yourself in here." CJ smirked, bending over the ledge to closer examine Mal's struggles and relish in them.

"H-help… Help… Help me!" Mal stammered, clawing agitatedly at any non-existent items that could help her survive.

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" CJ scoffed, crossing her arms.

"P-please…" Mal sputtered, gulping in increasingly large amounts of water.

"What?" CJ smiled, keeping her hand next to her ear as if she hadn't heard Mal.

"Please!" Mal screamed out as she clawed at the water.

CJ enjoyed the moment for a few more seconds, twirling her hair around her finger, before taking a deep breath and moving back to fetch something to drag Mal out with. There was no rope or something like that, so she had to make do with a long piece of broken wood.

"You want out? It looks awfully refreshing from up here." CJ quipped.

"Come on!" Mal barked, momentarily sounding angry and impatient instead of scared.

CJ rolled her eyes before holding out the piece of wood towards Mal, who enthusiastically grabbed at it.

"Come on then, ungrateful bitch…" CJ mumbled as she waited for Mal to latch onto the wood.

Mal did eventually grasp the wood tightly and clung to it for dear life. CJ planted her heels on the rotten floor of the collapsed house and began pulling. Now, CJ wasn't the strongest person around, and Mal was weighed down by her soaked clothes. Furthermore, CJ could not find the proper leverage to bring Mal back up. CJ grunted as she dragged Mal the first few inches out of the water, but did eventually found herself stuck at some point.

Looking down, she saw Mal stare up at her with wide eyes and wet hair plastered around her face. She looked both relieved and hopeful, nearly happy as tried to reach the edge of the rotten floor.

At that moment, CJ's mind flashed back to the moment she had once been trapped and relied on Mal to get her out. She remembered in vivid detail how Mal had purposely let her hand go and thus left her to her fate. A nasty feeling of resentment rose up inside CJ and her hands trembled as she stopped trying to pull Mal back in.

Mal's eyes flashed up suspiciously at CJ when she stopped pulling, but she kept on trying her best to climb up. CJ's body almost worked automatically at that point, her brain not sending any conscious commands down to her limbs when the grip she had on the wood slackened and her arms suddenly relaxed. It all seemed to happen in slow motion as the wood slipped from CJ's hands, meaning that Mal no longer had any support and immediately tumbled back.

Mal, who had almost been high enough to reach the edge, suddenly crashed back down and swallowed a large amount of water. Sputtering and gagging, she came back up and stared up at CJ bewilderedly.

"C-CJ! W-what!? Help!" She stammered, resuming her feverish kicking and splashing.

"I changed my mind, you don't deserve my help." CJ scoffed, her face contorted into a seething grimace.

"Please!" Mal called out, seeming desperate.

"You left me to die once, only fair that I return the favor." CJ said before spitting down at Mal.

"No! No! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, okay!? Please!" Mal practically begged, grabbing on to the rotten piece of wood that CJ had thrown down.

"I trusted you, and you left me!" CJ sneered. "I don't owe you anything!"

"CJ…" Mal sobbed.

"Go to hell!" CJ screamed before rapidly turning around and heading for the exit.

"CJ! CJ!" Mal's screams followed her as she opened the door and slammed it shut again, leaving Mal to her fate.

* * *

"Oh…" Ben sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that…"

"I've had worse by now…" Mal scoffed, trying not to show the heavy emotion in her voice.

"God, I feel horrible…" Ben went on, staring up at Mal with despair written over his face.

"I told you it wasn't a fun story." Mal said with a small snicker as she sat down on Ben's lap.

"You've lived through so many horrors, it just pains me to know that." Ben replied, putting his head on her shoulder.

"But I'm here now, with you…" Mal spoke up, putting her head onto Ben's. "It has all been worth it."

"I just hate the fact that someone as good as you has had to live through all that." Ben groaned. "It's all so unfair."

Mal just pulled Ben tighter to her. It had certainly not been the first time Ben has showed his feelings like this. Early in their relationship, hardly a day went by when Ben didn't apologize for the isle and how he believed he was somehow the cause of her troubled youth.

Of course, Mal knew that that was nuts. Ben hadn't put her there, he had never so much as lifted a finger against her. Ben probably didn't realize this, because he had spent his entire life in a loving and supportive environment, but for Mal, meeting Ben and starting a relationship with him had literally awoken feelings inside her she had never known.

She never knew what actual love felt like until she met Ben. She had never known such pure forms of happiness before she met Ben. She had never been truly happy before she met Ben.

Mal always made sure to let him know all this, but unintentionally made things worse more often than not. Whenever Mal tried to let Ben know how much he meant to her, he would again get sad about the fact she had not known all these positive feelings for such a long time.

All in all, Mal could only show Ben all the love she could possibly give and hope he would respond positively. Despite the weight of their entirely different upbringings often hanging over them, they still mostly managed to keep their relationship in a positive light.

"How did you survive?" Ben suddenly asked, separating himself from Mal.

"What?" Mal replied, momentarily having lost track of the conversation.

"How did you get out of the water? Did you manage to climb back up or something?" Ben explained.

"Oh, ehm, not exactly…" Mal pondered. "That piece of wood CJ threw at me actually saved me. I managed to cling to it for dear life and was able to, like, stay afloat. I stayed in that water for just over a day…"

"Over a day!?" Ben exclaimed, absolutely shocked.

"Yes, but I got out!" Mal quickly pointed out. "Some homeless guy eventually walked into the house, saw me, ran out and probably spread the story around the entire isle. Jay showed up only like a half hour later and pulled me out."

"God… That's all so horrible…" Ben mumbled.

Mal nodded. "That's when the rivalry between Uma, CJ and me really started. Uma started her own gang and CJ just went on to become the biggest pain in the ass known to man."

"I'm guessing you ran into each other a lot more?" Ben guessed.

"Yeah, but there's really too much to tell." Mal replied. "CJ never affiliated herself with any gang and really just got on everybody's nerves. After what we did to each other though, or relationship was always especially tough."

"Did you hurt each other?" Ben went on.

Mal snickered a little. "Everyone hurt each other on the isle, in many different ways though. I had my gang and the influence from mom, so I was basically able to order everyone not to hang out with CJ, not to sell her anything, and so on…"

"That's quite cruel…" Ben hesitantly said.

"I know… Most of the things I did back then were cruel… I was a horrible person…" Mal sighed.

"But you're not anymore." Ben reassured her.

"That doesn't change the past." Mal moped, putting her head on Ben's shoulder.

"Alright, so how did CJ Hook react to your treatment of her?" Ben asked, trying to stay on track.

"She actively started to annoy me, but Uma as well. She did everything in her power to derail our plans. She stole things, broke things, just acted like a freaking pest…" Mal scoffed.

"Did you not, ehm, try to deal with her or something?" Ben hesitantly continued.

"Of course, but CJ's as slippery as they come. She was fast, agile, cunning, a good climber and an even better fighter. Really, the only person who could probably best her in a sword fight on the isle was Jay, but she always made sure to avoid him." Mal explained.

"You almost sound like you admire her for that." Ben stated.

Mal gave an exasperated sigh. "It's just facts. I'd only be stupid if I were to say that CJ was a terrible swordsman."

"Was she better than you?" Ben asked, semi-amused.

"Only slightly!" Mal pointed out, raising a finger. "But she also often used Harry as a shield. Whenever either me or Uma closed in on her, she would run to him and he would always help her. Harry was the only one ever able to stand up to Uma, and Uma would then threaten war if I ever came too close to Harry."

"Sounds complicated." Ben acknowledged.

"It was, but that's how she survived." Mal replied. "Things were so simple once, but we all just grew apart."

"I sort of get where you're coming from now." Ben nodded. "Your feelings… This entire situation… It's quite complicated…"

"CJ was a monster!" Mal grunted. "What she did to me…"

"What you did to each other." Ben interjected. "Mal, neither one of you is innocent in this scenario."

"CJ actively left me to die!" Mal exclaimed as she jumped up from Ben's lap. "I left her because we were being threatened! She had all the time in the world but she chose to let me drown!"

"Right…" Ben pondered, rubbing his chin. "But… If she shows regret… If she's willing to help…"

"She won't!" Mal immediately jumped in. "There's no way CJ Hook will ever willingly join up with me!"

"But what if!?" Ben pointed out. "Archer said that…"

"Archer doesn't know what he's talking about!" Mal interrupted Ben. "CJ is a snake, and I don't know how she made Archer believe her lies but that's what they are, lies!"

"Your history clouds your judgement." Ben rapidly objected. "Archer was right to a certain extent, you refuse to believe someone you hate can change for the better."

"I do believe in people, just not her!" Mal yelled. "Tell me, would you consider letting Uma into Auradon if she said she regretted her actions? Or Solomon? Or Harry Hook?"

Ben's look darkened. "Look… I'd like to say that everyone deserves a second chance… But, ehm… Yeah, I can't say I'd actively welcome them into Auradon…"

"Exactly! That's what I'm feeling!" Mal jumped onto it. "I know CJ, and I know that things can only get worse if she's around."

"You are still prejudiced in your decision." Ben pointed out.

"You just said that you understood my point!" Mal replied indignant.

"Yes, but that has only reinforced my belief that we need an independent third party to cast the deciding vote. If it had been Uma who came here seeking redemption, I would not in a clear mind let myself decide her fate. It's apparently the same with you and CJ Hook. First and foremost, I can't pass any judgement without hearing all the details first. If she is actually willing to cooperate, then it's a chance we can't let slide." Ben explained.

"But Ben…" Mal began.

"Mal, think about it this way…" Ben interrupted her. "What if, when you tried to get all children off of the isle, the deciding vote on whether or not to let them into Auradon came down to people who still actively hate the villains?"

"B-but… But…" Mal stammered. "T-that wouldn't be fair! Then the kids would have never gotten a fair chance to get into Auradon! They didn't anything wrong!"

"Exactly…" Ben sighed. "It's that way, or something similar, with you and CJ Hook. Sorry Mal, but I can't have you decide this person's fate."

Mal exhaled deeply. She somewhat understood now where Ben was coming from. She hated CJ, like really hated her. If it had been the other way around, she would not have liked CJ to have the deciding vote on whether she would get to go to Auradon either.

"Fine…" Mal mumbled. "It, ehm, it just stresses me out… Knowing someone like CJ Hook could be back in my life…"

Ben moved over to Mal and took her tightly in his arms. "Even if she could come back, it won't be the same. You're not alone here and you don't have to hide how you feel. First, we win this war, then we get married and then we'll have our happily ever after."

Mal snickered a little as she snuggled up against Ben's chest. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Archer was silent. Way too silent.

CJ felt a lump beginning to develop in her throat as she simply stared at him through the prison bars. She had told the story of how she had left Mal, sparing no details in how absolutely horrifying the experience really was.

"I regret it! I regret it so much!" CJ stammered, trying to get a reaction out of Archer. "It was back on the isle, a-and we just hated each other so much! I-I don't know what came over me… I was just so, so angry! But I've changed! I'm really, really sorry! Please Archer, that's not me anymore! Please don't hold this against me!"

Archer slowly raised his head and looked at CJ, his breath was slow and deep, as if he was carefully thinking of something. CJ didn't see the usual happiness or confidence in Archer's eyes she had grown used to so swiftly, instead she saw doubt and insecurity.

"You left her?" Archer eventually softly asked. "You left her in the water, knowing she couldn't swim?"

"It was Uma who pushed her in! I-I didn't really…" CJ stammered.

"You left her!?" Archer repeated with a bit more volume.

CJ felt a blush creeping up on her cheeks. "Y-yes…"

"How did she get out? I mean, she survived…" Archer said after a few moments.

"I think someone fished her out or something. The rumors said she'd been there for a day…" CJ mumbled.

Archer wiped his hand over his face, obviously feeling conflicted. "A day!? Damn…"

"You wanted me to tell you! You said you needed to know! You said that there was nothing I could say that would make you feel different about me!" CJ ranted.

"Yes, but… T-this… This is… Jesus Christ, CJ!" Archer yelled as he stood up and began pacing in front of her cell.

"Archer! Archer, please…" CJ whined, pressing herself against the prison bars.

"You left her to die! You actively chose to let her die!" Archer exclaimed.

"I didn't know what I was thinking!" CJ immediately replied. "We were arch enemies a-and she had left me before… I just wanted revenge…"

"Revenge is the worst of all sins!" Archer fell out at her. "A mistake or not… Damn, this is bad…"

"But I'm sorry…" CJ mumbled, the first tears beginning to stream out of her eyes. "I'm really, really sorry…"

Archer's shoulders sagged as he looked at her. "Regret is the first step…" He admitted. "But a crime is a crime… A-and for something like this…"

"You can help me, right? I mean, you must!" CJ quickly replied.

"This is out of my hands…" Archer immediately admitted. "I can't decide whether or not to allow you into Auradon… Not by myself…"

"Archer…" CJ began, her voice trembling. "It's only because of you that I'm even here…"

"I know that…" Archer groaned, uncomfortably rubbing his hands.

"I can't go back to the isle, I just can't! T-they'll kill me…" CJ whined.

"Which is why I will try my best to make sure you stay!" Archer replied, silencing CJ. "I know you've changed… What you have done… You and Mal both… It's, ehm, difficult…"

"But you will help me?" CJ asked, feeling as though a weight was lifted from her heart.

"I'll try… I have to…" Archer answered heartfelt.

"Thank you." CJ replied gratefully.

"Others won't be as easily convinced though…" Archer began as he leaned against the prison bars again. "You have, ehm, something of a hold over me, so I might look at things a little biased."

CJ giggled a little as she leaned against the other side of the bars. "What do I have to do? Like, what's gonna happen now?"

"I'll still have to talk to Ben and Mal again, just to make sure they won't make any rash decisions. Ben is a good king though, and a good person. It might take some time, but he'll listen to reason. You're a peculiar case though, we've never really had anyone like you here." Archer explained.

"Anyone like me?" CJ asked.

"Someone who invaded us." Archer clarified.

"Oh…" CJ sighed. "That must complicate things."

"Probably." Archer nodded. "In any case, we'll probably have a trial."

"What's that?" CJ piped up.

"It's, ehm, it's a chance for you to defend yourself, to state your case on why you should be allowed into Auradon. Others will then try to argue against your plead. In the end, an independent jury will decide your fate." Archer told her.

"People from Auradon get to decide whether or not I'll get in!?" CJ asked incredulously.

"Yes, b-but they need to have an open mind." Archer hastily tried to reassure her. "You'll not find any people who are prejudiced against the isle on the jury."

"Still… I don't think I'll look forward to something like that." CJ moped.

"You won't be alone." Archer said. "You'll get assigned an attorney and I'll also be there for any guidance wherever necessary. Furthermore, I won't stop trying to convince everyone of your goodness."

CJ snickered. "My goodness?"

"It's there." Archer sneered. "Deep down maybe, but it's there."

"Will the Auradonians see it that way?" CJ asked a little condescendingly.

"We'll have to hope that they will." Archer shrugged. "We are still at war though, so there might be a chance that we'll not follow regular procedures."

"The people will probably be overjoyed that you captured one of your enemies." CJ joked.

"They should be even more thrilled when they hear that the enemy wants to cross over to our side." Archer added.

"Will they really see it that way? They probably won't trust me." CJ sneered.

"Then earn their trust! Tell them what they want to hear! Cooperate with them! If you tell us enough about the villains and their plans, then everyone will realize how great it would be to have you on our side." Archer ranted.

"What if I hate them though, those people?" CJ smirked.

"If you want to go to Auradon, you can suck it up for a few days." Archer lamented.

"You do have faith in me, right?" CJ hesitantly asked.

"Of course." Archer reassured her. "And I have faith in Auradon. We will get through this, then we will kick Solomon's ass and the, ehm, we'll see I guess…"

"What do you have in mind?" CJ asked teasingly as she pressed herself against the bars. "Anything you'd like to do after the war?"

"Take you out on a date maybe?" Archer suggested.

"Wow, real smooth." CJ smirked.

"Would you say no, even after everything that's happened already?" Archer asked.

CJ shrugged, still sporting her trademark smirk.

"I can still easily walk out of here, you know." Archer grinned.

"Okay, okay… Fine, if I get released, I'll go on a date with you." CJ gave in.

"'When' you get released." Archer corrected her.

"You are very optimistic." CJ sighed.

Archer wanted to respond, but at that moment they both heard the sound of a door opening loudly at the top of the stairs to the right of CJ's cell. A soldier carrying a spear appeared in front of them, looking very flustered at having found Archer and CJ standing nearly nose to nose.

"Ehm, sir… Y-you have been summoned." The soldier spoke.

"By who? I asked for privacy!" Archer replied as he stepped back from CJ and addressed the soldier.

The soldier gulped before he started talking again. "Ehm, sir, you have been down here for over four hours. King Benjamin has asked for you specifically and, ehm… And…"

"And?" Archer questioned.

"And we were ordered not to let anyone near the prisoner anymore, not even you." The soldier finished.

Archer and CJ looked at each other quickly, the tension having suddenly risen considerably.

"Fine." Archer answered with clenched jaw. "I'll accompany you back upstairs."

The soldier bowed before turning around and heading back up the stairs.

"So, I guess this is goodbye then?" CJ sighed, placing her hands on the steel bars.

"For now, but I promise I'll be back tomorrow." Archer reassured her.

"Even when you're not allowed to?" CJ smirked.

"I'll pull some strings." Archer grinned. He then placed his hand on that of CJ and squeezed it slightly. "Stay strong, okay?"

CJ just nodded, biting her lip.

Archer gave her one last wink before he turned around and began heading up the stairs, leaving CJ alone yet again. Only this time, she felt hope and confidence when thinking of the future.


	38. Chapter 38: Plead

**After hearing your reactions, I guess I'll make this into a trilogy. Keep an eye out for future chapters for any announcements surrounding it all.**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 38: Plead

"You wanted to speak to me?" Archer asked as soon as he had entered Ben's office, apparently not feeling the need to knock.

"Yes." Ben answered curtly after a quick sideward glance at Mal.

Both Archer and Mal appeared a little tense, which wasn't really a surprise given the way their last conversation with Archer had turned out. In any case, Mal currently stood beside Ben, who sat in the chair behind his desk. Archer cautiously made his way forward and eventually sat down on the chair in front of Ben without waiting for his approval.

"Thanks for getting here so swiftly, Archer." Ben stated, trying to retain a sense of order.

"Is this about CJ? If so, then please tell me immediately." Archer replied, not beating around the bush.

Ben was momentarily taken aback, which must have been obvious from the look he gave Mal.

"It is about CJ." Mal eventually acknowledged, her eyes again turning cold when she mentioned that name.

"Have you reached some kind of, ehm, some kind of consensus or something?" Archer hesitantly asked.

"We have…" Ben sighed. "Archer, you need to listen to reason…"

"You're not going to kill her, are you?" Archer interrupted Ben, his eyes wide with fear.

"What? No…" Mal answered, with even her looking somewhat distraught by the idea.

"Then what is it?" Archer continued.

"There will be a trial, not long from now." Ben began to explain. "I talked it over with Mal, and she agrees that she would not make for an impartial judge. I further conveyed with my parents, and they have agreed to allow me to call together the council of five."

If Archer's jaw could have hit the floor, it probably would have at this moment. Ben was not surprised. The council of five was comprised of some of the most highly regarded individuals in all the kingdoms of Auradon. The council had been founded not long after Ben's parents had led the heroes to victory in their war against the villains with the sole purpose of making some of the tougher choices required for ruling and maintaining a kingdom.

The five members of the council were; Merlin, court mage of Arthur of Camelot. Yen Sid, the powerful sorcerer. Fauna, the fairy and former advisor to King Stefan and Queen Leah. Dallben, the enchanter. And finally, Fairy Godmother herself.

Now, calling together these mostly powerful magical beings was no easy task given that most lived on the other side of the continent, but Ben believed that this matter was one suited for them. It would probably be quite the spectacle. Not since the actual war's aftermath had the council been called together.

"You're calling for the council of five!?" Archer exclaimed in total bewilderment.

"For this occasion, yes." Ben nodded.

"T-the council of five! Jesus, Ben! B-but… But then the press will be all over this trial!" Archer panicked.

"Probably, but I believe that to be inevitable either way." Ben acknowledged.

"Do we really want this much attention on the trial?" Archer asked, momentarily forgetting the hostile attitude in favor of his worry for CJ.

"Again, the attention is inevitable. Archer, we haven't had a trial like this since the aftermath of the war. Now, Mal is already very strongly opinionated about what should happen to CJ, as are you. Since these views differ so strongly, I really think we need as good of an investigation as possible." Ben explained.

Archer quickly glanced in Mal's direction, who confidently stared back. "You can't send her back, please Ben…"

"It's not up to me anymore." Ben sighed. "But Archer, ehm, w-why are you so involved in this?"

"What did she tell you?" Mal jumped in, putting no effort into hiding her displeasure. "What lies did she come up with to get you on her side?"

"No lies!" Archer snapped. "We just, ehm, talked… For a very long time… She's really done with the other villains and the invasion in general. She doesn't want to go back to them and she can't go back to the isle…"

"Because of her sister?" Ben questioned.

"Yes, ehm, Harriet or something…" Archer replied, to which Mal nodded. "Okay, so, I wasn't convinced in the beginning as well… B-but, ehm, she just went on and on about how miserable her life was, and, ehm, I wanted to help her."

"Her life was miserable for a reason." Mal sneered.

"Don't say that!" Archer groaned. "Mal, ehm, she told me what happened between you two. Back on the isle, I mean…"

Mal started blushing heavily and Ben sat up straight in his chair, seemingly very tense.

"She told you?" Mal practically whispered.

Archer nodded. "Yeah… And, ehm, I-I'm sorry that any of that stuff ever happened…"

"Mal…" Ben began, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"She told you everything? Everything that happened between us?" Mal went on.

"I'm not sure… It was a lot though…" Archer replied, casting his eyes downward.

"And you'd still be okay with having someone like her walk around in Auradon!?" Mal fell out at Archer.

"Mal, ehm, she feels regret, alright? You should have seen her after she told me how she left you in the water that one time. She was all, ehm, desperate… She was scared that I would not want anything to do with her anymore and that she'd get kicked back to the isle. This is her one chance at a happy life, she's not gonna throw it away." Archer clarified.

"She almost got me killed! You expect me to forget that!?" Mal thundered.

"Well, ehm, you hurt her as well!" Archer retorted. "You think CJ want's to be all 'buddy-buddy' with you, of course not!"

"Then why help her!?" Mal grunted.

"Because, unlike you, CJ is willing to forgive you for your mistakes and apologize for hers if it means that she'll get to stay." Archer ranted.

Mal looked momentarily perplexed, as did Ben.

"Did she tell you this?" Ben eventually asked.

"Yes, I told you she's desperate." Archer answered.

"She must be lying!" Mal argued.

"No, no, no!" Archer yelled. "She is not lying!"

"How do you know? How would you know?" Mal scoffed.

"Because I trust her." Archer finally caved. "Ever since our first night on the mountain… She, ehm, she has not failed me thus far… A-and believe me, she didn't want to come here at all in the first place. It took like, ehm, hours of persuading from me before she finally agreed to let me try to get her in."

"She didn't want to get in in the first place? Why?" Ben asked.

"Well, because of her I think." Archer replied, pointing at Mal. "She didn't talk about it in depth at first, but she did mention that she wanted to be nowhere near you."

Mal blushed a little again. "But she's here anyway, even though I'm here as well. She must have a reason for coming."

"To survive." Archer emphasized. "She has nowhere else to go."

"That's what she told you." Mal retorted. "What if she's actually here to spy on us? What if Solomon or Uma sent her to gather information and destroy us from the inside?"

"That doesn't make sense." Archer lamented. "I took her here! She wouldn't have gotten close to Auradon City if not for me. Furthermore, she didn't want to go in the first place. Right? You would have thought that if she'd actually wanted to come here and spy on us, that she would have begged me to take her?"

"Hmm, that kinda makes sense…" Ben mumbled stroking his chin.

"She could still be lying about other things though." Mal pointed out. "Maybe she's not even in a fight with the other villains. Maybe she's just planning to wait out the storm here before they come to break her out!"

Archer moved his hand through his hair as he contemplated things. "Okay, ehm… I-I don't know everything, not for sure at least… It's clear that you and I are both a bit, ehm, biased here…" He told Mal. "So, let CJ take every lie detector test you have at your disposal… Use truth potions, enchantments, anything! Just hear her out, please…"

"We will hear her out." Ben jumped in before Mal could answer. "We may not have any deciding vote, but we'll definitely be present during the trial."

"Thank you." Archer breathed a sigh of relief. "And for keeping an open mind as well… CJ, ehm, she did not have much faith in either of you."

"Oh, did she now?" Mal snapped. "She does not get to talk about having faith in people!"

"Mal…" Archer began.

"No!" Mal interrupted him. "Archer, you get to have all these nice talks, but I don't think anything will ever change between CJ and me. Even if she gets into Auradon, which I still doubt, I don't want anything to do with her."

"That's no way to live, Mal." Archer sighed. "I mean, Freddie talked to you about this before, right? Yes, you did horrible things but is there never a time when you, like, want to leave it all behind you?"

"Easier said than done." Mal sneered. "Archer, I'm willing to go to her trial and listen to what she has to say, but that's it. No matter what she says, she'll always be evil in my book."

"And what if she helps us? What if she is the key to defeating the villains? What if she saves us?" Archer pleaded.

Mal opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

"Mal…" Ben spoke up, making her look at him. "You know how I feel about second chances…"

"But you yourself said…" Mal began.

"If Uma or Solomon or anyone else came here right now, offering to end the war on peaceful terms, I would listen to them. This is still Auradon, and as king I'd appreciate it if you would try to lay off the hostility a little…" Ben told her.

Mal sighed, before looking at Archer. "What has she done to make you fight for her like this? What did she say? You can't really be such a good person that you'd jump through fire for a complete stranger, let alone someone who stabbed you in the leg."

Archer grinned softly. "She changed my mind. I'm absolutely sure that she's not here with any bad intentions."

"See, if we were on the isle, I would have been sure that she was blackmailing you or something." Mal went on.

"She's not, we just, ehm, connected…" Archer shrugged.

"You connected?" Ben questioned raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah…" Archer hesitantly answered. "We're not as different as you might think…"

"Oh my god…" Mal suddenly exclaimed, making both Ben and Archer look at her. "You like her, don't you?"

Ben swiftly looked back at Archer, who in turn had just turned as red as a tomato.

"W-what?" Archer stammered, uncomfortably rubbing his hands.

"You like her! You fell for her at that little mountain climb of yours! That's why you're trying so hard to help her!" Mal continued.

Mal didn't go on about it and Archer didn't respond. Now, since Ben tried to wrap his head around this new piece of information, it was almost painfully quiet in the room.

"Well?" Mal asked a little later. "Do you like her?"

Archer's eyes flashed between Ben and Mal's and he took a few deep breaths before finally answering. "Yes! Okay, yes, I-I like her…"

Mal groaned loudly in response but Ben had trouble suppressing a grin.

"Archer…" Mal whined. "This, ehm… I mean, this changes things, right?" She then turned to Ben.

Ben looked up at Mal a little sheepishly. "Well… Ehm, how would this change things?" He asked in return.

"He's emotionally involved. CJ's simply using him, relying on his feelings to infiltrate Auradon!" Mal pointed out.

"Now wait just a second!" Archer immediately protested, but that didn't faze Mal.

"Don't you see? She just manipulated him, batted her eyelashes and now he's actively trying to help her!" Mal went on.

"It's not like that at all! It just, ehm, happened…" Archer hesitantly interjected.

"Because she wanted it to happen!" Mal spat. "She's using you, don't you see it!?"

"It's not true!" Archer roared, his eyes momentarily shining a bright blue. "Yes, I think I have feelings for CJ, b-but she might have feelings for me too…"

This statement shocked both Ben and Mal into silence.

"She has feelings for you too?" Ben asked, slightly uncomfortable.

"I think so…" Archer shrugged. "I mean, ehm, we kissed…"

"You kissed!?" Ben and Mal both shrieked.

Archer nearly fell backwards from surprise, but managed to stay upright.

"You kissed CJ Hook!?" Mal went on, her voice still shrill.

"I mean… Yeah…" Archer slowly answered.

"What the hell were you thinking!? You never had a girlfriend and now you go mess around with the first nutjob that crosses your path!?" Mal fell out at him.

That was obviously a kick to the sore leg for Archer, who audibly breathed out through his nose before readdressing Mal.

"I care about her… Something you simply can't register because you've spent years hating her." Archer retorted.

"Well, excuse me if I can't register you falling for some crazy brat with murderous tendencies!" Mal spat. "And you've known her for, what, four days!?"

"Hey, I met her a long time ago!" Archer pointed out.

"When she stabbed you!" Mal shrieked.

"I forgave her for that!" Archer yelled.

"Guys!" Ben loudly interjected, jumping up from his chair. "Calm down!"

"We can't trust him anymore, Ben!" Mal stated. "CJ has corrupted him!"

"Corrupted me!?" Archer indignantly exclaimed.

"Obviously you can't be unbiased when making a decision about her either." Mal crossed her arms.

"Yes, but I'm not trying to ruin this person's life! I'm trying to help her! Isn't, ehm, isn't that what we're supposed to be doing here in Auradon?" Archer replied, addressing Ben mostly.

"Is this for real?" Ben asked, crossing his arms. "You're not, ehm, bewitched or something?"

"Would my word be good enough of an answer or do you have any enchanted lake water to blast me with?" Archer sarcastically fired back.

"Archer…" Ben groaned.

"Hey! CJ did not spell me! I mean, how could she have done that!? She doesn't have some magic spell book…" Archer went on, looking intently at Mal.

"Don't go there!" Mal warned him.

"Why not!?" Archer exclaimed. "You keep going on about how you believe CJ to be evil when you weren't any better when you came to Auradon!"

"I changed!" Mal retorted.

"So did she!" Archer roared.

"How do you know!?" Mal nearly screamed.

"How would you know if she's still bad if you won't even think about giving her a chance!?" Archer snapped.

Mal took a second to breathe in deeply. "I have to try to keep this kingdom safe, same as Ben, which is why I'd rather eliminate potential threats than give them a chance to screw everything up."

"But we are supposed to see the best in people." Archer sighed. "CJ's getting a trial, which is more than fair when taking into account who she's been associating with. But… But I really want you to keep an open mind. If she gets let off, which she will, you would have no reason to distrust her anymore."

"She's still a villain." Mal persisted.

"Then so are you." Archer responded. "And so are Evie, Freddie, Carlos and Jay… I thought you finally learned to take pride in your roots, but also tried to better yourselves."

"We did." Mal acknowledged. "But I do not trust her to better herself."

"Wouldn't it be our obligation to guide her then? Should we not try to get as many people as possible on our side?" Archer lamented.

"He's right." Ben spoke up before Mal could react. "Mal, she might not be a, ehm, 'good' person now, but if she wants to be, we should help her."

"You're saying you want to help her get into Auradon!?" Mal asked indignant.

"Not per se… Not right now…" Ben answered, looking intently at Archer. "But… If she gets through her trial… If she convinces me… I'd see no reason to not simply welcome her…"

"Thanks Ben…" Archer gratefully sighed.

Mal looked between Ben and Archer with a bit of a helpless pout.

"Mal, I know this is, ehm, tough for you, but could you please let me try to do what I think is right?" Archer pleaded. "Just remember, I rescued you from the isle."

Mal's initially somber expression immediately changed into an exasperated frown. "Really? You're throwing that into my face?"

"If it helps." Archer shrugged.

Mal sighed deeply. "I, ehm, I guess I owe you that much…"

"Thank you." Archer repeated.

"I'm prepared to listen and, ehm, not try to sabotage the whole thing…" Mal began, twiddling her thumbs. "But I can't for the life of me imagine ever believing CJ Hook could be good, or that her feelings for you could be genuine."

Archer looked to the ground with a thoughtful expression for a second, apparently in deep thought. "Alright… What if I could try to change that viewpoint?"

* * *

CJ twiddled her thumbs as she looked up at the ceiling of her cell, deep in thought. It had been three days since she had first come to Auradon and two since Archer had come to visit her for the first time. She had not seen him since that visit though, but the guards who brought her food did pass on messages from him, so she knew that he hadn't forgotten about her. She had just been visited by a short man named Bashful who had introduced himself as her attorney and came bearing the frightening news that her trial would take place the following day.

Now, CJ had no idea what an attorney actually was, but a short explanation later she realized that her future in Auradon possibly depended entirely on this person. She didn't know right away if she could trust him, and made this really clear, but the man was patient and carefully explained the process. Archer had previously mentioned that she would most likely get a trial, something that was now confirmed. The announcement from Bashful that the trial would happen the next day caused the hairs on the back of CJ's neck to stand up straight however.

Apparently though, this trial would be anything but a normal occurrence in Auradon. Her new attorney rambled on about how her case was exceptional and how apparently some very important people were being summoned to judge her.

This all made CJ quite nervous. She did not have Archer beside her to explain things to her or reassure her that things would turn out okay. The questions the short man asked her became increasingly complicated as he 'took her statement'. He wanted to know pretty much everything, and CJ told him whatever she thought was necessary.

She began with her name and general information about herself before she started talking about the invasion. She recalled how Solomon and Uma had returned to the isle and formed an alliance with Harriet. She told of how she and her former companions had made the cross into Auradon and eventually regrouped with Solomon. She spoke of what they had done in their short time in Auradon, from the raids on villages to the climactic battle in the woods. Furthermore, she did not forget to mention how awfully she had been treated by the villains throughout all this and how Solomon had had to blackmail her to get involved in the first place.

In the end, and with a large stack of notes under his arm, Bashful bowed respectfully for her and told her confidently that he had faith in their case. CJ did not precisely know how to respond to that, and in the end simply nodded before watching him leave.

Now she was alone again, with nothing to do but admire the few cracks in the ceiling and nervously counting down the seconds until her trial would start.

CJ had a million questions, but no one to answer them for her. What was gonna happen? What was her part in all this? Would she have to speak in front of an entire room full of people?

CJ was rudely awoken from her thoughts when she heard the sound of someone quickly descending the nearby winding staircase. Being both curious and suspicious, CJ turned to her side to see who this person would be, since she actually did not expect any new visitors.

So, imagine her surprise when a lightly panting Archer emerged at the bottom of the stairs and immediately looked in her direction.

"Archer!?" CJ exclaimed as she instantly sat upright before jumping off her bed.

"CJ!" Archer called out to her as he swiftly moved over to the prison bars of her cell.

"W-what are you doing here? T-that guy, ehm, my attorney said I shouldn't expect anymore visitors." CJ told him.

"No one knows I'm here, that's why I don't have much time!" Archer hastily rambled, quickly looking over his shoulder.

"Archer? What's wrong?" CJ asked, looking more intently at his weird, almost panicky behavior.

"I-I needed to talk to you…" Archer added, finally looking her in the eyes after loudly exhaling.

"What is it?" CJ asked a little unsure. His behavior really threw her off.

"You, ehm… Your trial is tomorrow…" Archer began.

"I know, they told me." CJ replied.

"I tried my best, I really did. I tried to get everyone to believe that you mean no harm…" Archer stammered.

CJ felt her breath get stuck in her throat. "W-what are you saying? Do they not believe me?"

"What? No! No! It's just, ehm, it could technically still go either way." Archer clarified. "I like to think I was able to sway some people's opinion… But, ehm… I just can't be sure…"

CJ felt a twitch of anger. "It was you who said that I would not end up in an Auradon prison, which I already am! You said that you had faith in the justice system! You said they'd let me go!"

Archer's look momentarily changed into one of pure anguish. "I know that… Which is why I'm gonna make sure that that won't happen!"

"What do you mean?" CJ questioned.

"Whatever happens in that trial, I, ehm, I'm not gonna let them take you away." Archer reassured her.

"What do you mean?" CJ repeated in a more suspicious tone.

"If they convict you, I'll break you out and we'll run away together." Archer told her.

CJ snickered. "Haha, yeah right…"

"I'm serious." Archer went on. "I made a promise and I'll be damned if I don't follow up on it!"

"You're actually serious?" CJ scoffed, pulling up her eyebrows.

"Yes, I'm gonna take you away… Somewhere far… Just, ehm, away from all this…" Archer contemplated, looking at the prison bars.

"And what would you do then exactly? Just keep escorting me?" CJ questioned.

"Yeah, we'll just have to make do somehow I guess." Archer shrugged.

"Shut up!" CJ sneered, kicking the prison bar Archer was leaning against. "You can't just come with me, right? I mean, you have friends and, ehm, family and all that…"

"I know…" Archer sighed. "But, ehm, they'll survive…"

"You cannot be serious!" CJ went on, still shaking her head. "I get that you might feel guilty, but you cannot be serious."

"I am serious!" Archer loudly repeated. "I can't just live on with the knowledge that you might be rotting away in some prison or on the isle. What I want is for you to live happily."

"Well…" CJ began, slightly touched by Archer's words. "B-but maybe you won't have to worry, right? Maybe they'll release me…"

"And I truly hope and believe they'll do that." Archer quickly replied. "This is just a precaution. If all these Auradon people are too stupid to see how good you are, t-then you just need to know that there's a way out…"

"You're not gonna take me away." CJ said, more as a statement than a question.

"I will." Archer reassured her.

"I don't want that." CJ protested. "No… No, you're not gonna ruin your life just to get me out of jail!"

"If I help you, it won't be a ruined life." Archer smirked.

"Shut up!" CJ grunted. "Archer, whatever happens tomorrow, you do not make any rash decisions and try to help me escape!"

"My mind's made up." Archer shrugged.

"I forbid you!" CJ warned.

"That's sweet." Archer grinned.

"Archer…" CJ went on, her breath growing more irregular.

"Why are you so against this?" Archer asked. "It's only a small precaution. If we somehow lose this trial, you'll still be able to live a somewhat happy life…"

"Yeah, but at the cost of yours!" CJ objected.

"No, it's not like that…" Archer began.

"Archer, you can do so much more than simply spend your life looking after me!" CJ interrupted him. "Of course I don't want to lose this trial and get sent to the isle or whatever, but I'd hate it even more if I somehow drag you down along with me."

"Sadly, that's not your choice anymore." Archer replied, his tone having grown more serious again. "I was the one to drag you along to Auradon, and I won't see it become the worst decision of your life."

"I took the risk!" CJ blurted out. "I knew that there was a chance that it wouldn't turn out well for me, but I took that chance."

"It shouldn't have to be like that!" Archer spat.

"But it is, and now you'll just have to sit by and have faith in your 'system' or whatever." CJ retorted.

"I do have faith, but I also like to have a backup plan." Archer argued.

"You will not endanger yourself to try and break me out!" CJ practically yelled.

Archer looked at her for a second with piercing eyes and his nostrils flared.

"Don't ruin your life for me…" CJ whispered in a pleading tone.

Archer sighed before grinning wildly again. "You won't be able to stop me. I'll see you tomorrow." He then said before abruptly turning around and heading for the stairs, leaving a totally baffled CJ.

"Archer! No! No! Archer!" CJ screamed, watching helplessly as Archer disappeared at the base of the stairs. She pulled at the sturdy bars of her cell and kicked furiously at the iron to somehow escape and hopefully make all this right. Naturally, this didn't work and CJ was soon reduced to simply screaming Archer's name and kicking at walls.

Archer had to listen to CJ's painful wails the entire journey up the stairs and hearing her so desperate hurt him to his very core. He had to endure however, and he was hopeful knowing that this was the exact reaction he had needed from CJ.

At the top of the stairs, Archer was immediately confronted by Ben and Mal. Ben looked a little embarrassed, but proud as well. Mal just looked torn as she pulled at the hem of one of her sleeves.

"Did you hear all that?" Archer asked, pulling the wire from underneath his shirt.

"We did." Ben answered, looking expectingly at Mal.

Mal looked back at Ben before rolling her eyes. "Yes… We, ehm, we heard everything…"

"So…" Archer began. "Is this enough? Do you believe her now?"

"I do." Ben immediately replied. "You were right, she does care for you."

"Thank you." Archer contently exhaled. "This is the first step, we should be able to convince other people."

Mal kept on biting her lip and still mostly cast her eyes downward.

"What do you have to say?" Archer asked her, crossing his arms.

Mal sighed deeply. "Well… She did sound sincere…"

"She is… All she wants is to leave her past behind and work towards a better future." Archer reassured her.

Mal looked towards the stairs again, still obviously in doubt. "I, ehm, I just can't wrap my head around it…"

"But?" Archer asked, semi-hopefully.

"But…" Mal began. "You did save my life once and I do want to see you happy." She then told Archer. "If you're so sure about this and you want to spend your time with, ehm, 'her'… I mean, I won't stop you…"

"Will you help us?" Archer went on.

"Don't push it." Mal replied, raising a finger. "I will be at the trial and listen to what she has to say. If the jury is willing to let her into Auradon, then I won't stand in the way. But… I will need to pass my own judgement during the trial as well, just to see if I'm gonna give her another chance to be in my life…"

Archer clenched his jaw a little and quickly looked at Ben. "I can work with that." He eventually said.

"Are you nervous for the trial?" Ben then asked.

"A bit." Archer admitted. "I-I just can't even imagine having to tell CJ she will be punished... That would be on me then…"

Mal made a soft snorting sound and both Ben and Archer stared at her.

"Something on your mind?" Archer inquired.

"Just something that happens every time I hear her name." Mal waved the question away. "I'll work on it."

Ben smiled but Archer just rolled his eyes.


	39. Chapter 39: Trial

**After hearing your reactions, I guess I'll make this into a trilogy. Keep an eye out for future chapters for any announcements surrounding it all.**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 39: Trial

"All rise." A loud voice said, immediately shushing the constant murmuring that had at first been audible in the court.

Mal joined everyone else in the room as they stood up before looking back at the large wooden door in the front of the room. She held her breath as five people entered. Fairy Godmother was at the front, wearing her usual clothes and her hair in a tight bun. She smiled sweetly at the people she passed on her way to the judge's bench. She was followed by an elderly man with long white hair and an even longer beard in a blue robe and matching hat. Mal knew this had to be Merlin, as she had heard many stories of him. Behind him, there was a small, elderly woman in a green dress, Fauna, the fairy. She mostly remained tight-lipped and stared straight ahead. When she passed the front row of the public benches, which was where Mal, Ben and Archer were seated, she quickly glanced in Mal's direction and Mal could swear she heard a little scoff. After Fauna, a tall, balding and imposing man came into the room. He also wore a blue robe but did not possess even a whiff of Merlin's more calm and approachable appearance. This had to be Yen Sid, the sorcerer, and Mal immediately realized why Ben spoke of him in such a nearly fearful manner of respect. Last, a smaller, more timid man entered, wearing a red robe and large glasses that nearly covered his incredibly thick eyebrows. This had to be Dallben, the enchanter. He slowly shuffled towards the judge's bench and let his eyes wander through the room, taking in the many other people who were also present.

Mal also kept looking around. CJ's trial had drawn an even bigger crowd than either Ben or Archer could have guessed. Since a trial of this magnitude was such a rare occurrence in Auradon, many important royalty had also flogged to the event.

Mal and Ben naturally sat on the front row of the public benches, right behind where CJ would soon take her place. Behind her were about a dozen more rows of benches, filled to the brim with people. Above her were balconies with even more benches, which were also totally stacked with a captivated audience.

All in all, Mal had to guess there were about 500 people in the room, which did not calm her nerves in the slightest. Whenever she would glance to her right, where Archer sat next to Ben, she could only guess how this massive attendance made him feel.

There were more familiar faces in the crowd. Freddie sat only one row behind Mal, as she was expected to get called up to the front to testify, just like Mal and Archer. Evie, Carlos and Jay all sat on the balcony to Mal's left, and their eyes occasionally crossed. They were naturally joined by Jane, Lonnie, Doug and Jordan, who had only recently been allowed to leave the hospital. Lancelot, Royce, Aden and Alex all sat on the other balcony and looked out over the room in earnest. Belle and Adam sat to Mal's left, also looking expectantly at the imposing figures of the council of five. In a small flash of anger, Mal had seen Audrey, accompanied by her parents and grandparents, sit down at one of the rows nearest to the front on the other side of the room. Chad and his parents sat near them as well, though they looked more genuinely interested than Audrey's family.

Right in front of her, at the defendant's table, sat the short, slightly overweight man named Bashful who would be CJ's attorney. He was currently busy wiping his sweaty forehead with his handkerchief and continuously tapping his fingers on the hardwood table. Finally, the people who maybe caused Mal the most unease were Peter Pan and his wife Wendy Darling, who sat at the front of the other row of benches. Mal constantly reminded herself of the fact that CJ was the daughter of Captain Hook, who in turn was Peter Pan's mortal enemy.

When all the members of the council of five had taken their place at the judge's bench, which loomed imposingly over the rest of the courtroom, a complete silence fell over the crowd. Fairy Godmother sat in the center, with Merlin and Dallben to her right and Fauna and Yen Sid to her left.

Fairy Godmother stood up behind the judge's bench and cleared her throat before addressing the crowd. "Good people of Auradon, I want to thank you all for your presence in this, ehm, frankly irregular court case. On this day, we examine the case of Calista Jane Hook and her plea to be allowed citizenship in the United States of Auradon. For your information, we will discuss the defendant's past crimes, statements from witnesses and from the defendant herself. I want to urge each and everyone of you to not interfere with the process or you will be removed from the court." She told everyone with a stern face.

Mal again looked at Ben and Archer, who both had tense faces and clenched jaws. Belle and Adam looked similarly anxious, though they obviously did their best to hide that from the public.

"We will now bring in the defendant and I again urge everyone to remain seated and not interfere with the court." Fairy Godmother then announced before gesturing quickly with her right hand.

The heavy wooden door at the other end of the courtroom opened up again, only this time three people entered. CJ Hook was flanked by two large, muscular guardsmen, each of which had a hand placed on one of her shoulders. She was no longer sporting her trademark red leather jacket and was instead wearing a simple white blouse and jeans. She did still wear her blonde hair in her signature braid though. Mal noticed that Archer balled his fists and his eyes shot fire when he too saw that CJ's hands were cuffed in front of her.

Mal felt the familiar tingle of hatred and disgust when she first saw CJ, but also felt a slight stab of pity when she noticed CJ's wide-eyed, fearful expression. She was apparently not afraid of the two guardsmen at her side, but was seemingly shocked by the sheer number of people present for her trial. CJ was escorted to the front of the courtroom, meaning that she passed the people on Mal's row before arriving at the defendant's table. Mal saw CJ sneak a quick glance at Archer, who in turn nodded supportively. At the defendant's table, CJ's cuffs were attached to a restraint on the table top, meaning that she could technically not escape.

The two guardsmen gave a quick nod to the people behind the judge's bench before walking back down the aisle and closing the heavy door again. It seemed as though the entire crowd let out an audible sigh as every eye was on CJ, who in turn stared open-mouthed at the high ceiling and the people above her on the balcony.

"Will the defendant please state their name for the court!" Fairy Godmother suddenly said, her voice echoing through the room.

CJ, seemingly startled, whipped her head around to stare at Fairy Godmother and sat up straight in her chair. "I, ehm… C-CJ Hook, ehm, ma'am…"

"Your full name please, sweetie." Fairy Godmother smiled kindly at her.

This nice tone clearly calmed CJ down, who breathed out audibly before answering. "Ehm, Calista Jane Hook, ma'am…"

"And what is your age?" Fairy Godmother followed up.

"Seventeen, ehm, I think…" CJ hesitantly answered.

"You think?" Merlin questioned, looking down at CJ over the tops of his fingers.

"Yeah, ehm, I've kind of lost track of the days for like, ehm, these last months… B-but I think I'm seventeen…" CJ stuttered.

Merlin just nodded and looked back expectantly at Fairy Godmother.

"Alright, and what is your parentage…" Fairy Godmother inquired as she quickly scrabbled something onto the notepad in front of her.

"Ehm, J-James Hook, or, ehm, Captain Hook is my father… I-I, ehm, I don't know who my mother was…" CJ timidly answered.

Mal quickly looked beside her to indeed see Peter Pan with his arms crossed and a somewhat stoic expression on his face.

"You do not know who your mother is?" Fairy Godmother questioned.

"Ehm, no ma'am…" CJ replied.

"Let's see… You have siblings, don't you?" Fairy Godmother continued.

"Yes, ehm, two… Two of them… M-my older sister Harriet and, ehm, Harry… My brother…" CJ stammered.

"Do they share the same parentage as you?" Fairy Godmother went on.

"No… T-they, ehm, have a different mother… B-but she died, I believe…" CJ told her.

"James Hook never told you who your mother was?" Yen Sid suddenly asked, his voice deep and commanding.

"No, ehm, sir… No, he didn't…" CJ answered, obviously less comfortable talking to the imposing sorcerer.

"Why not?" Yen Sid added, his voice strict.

"Ehm, I don't know…" CJ replied. "M-maybe he just didn't want me to find out… Lots of kids on the isle don't know who their parents are…"

"That's quite enough." Yen Sid interrupted CJ as he also scribbled down a few words on his notepad.

CJ nodded timidly and looked down at the table top in front of her as the members of the jury stopped asking questions for a moment.

"We understand that it is your request to be allowed into the United States of Auradon and also to remain here indefinitely, is that correct?" Merlin suddenly asked.

CJ almost unnoticeably glanced back at Archer before answering. "Yes, I would like to move here…"

"According to all documents available to us, all children from the isle of the lost deemed 'worthy' to be given a chance to live in Auradon were taken from the isle more than a year ago following a proclamation from our ruling monarchs." Merlin began, reading from a binder. "What was the reason that you were not among that crop?"

CJ audibly gasped and Mal couldn't help but feel uneasy about the question. She herself had worked with Ben, Evie, Carlos and Jay to determine which of the children on the isle deserved to enter Auradon. Naturally, they left names like Uma, Solomon and Harry Hook off that list for obvious reasons. Mal had herself insisted that they should not even spare the name of CJ Hook a second glance due to all the animosity between them.

"I-I…" CJ stuttered, slowing her breath before answering the question. "I, ehm, was never the most well-behaved kid on the isle, I admit that… But, ehm, I think the major reason was that, ehm, Mal and I don't like each other…"

Mal felt every eye in the court on her within a second, even those of the judges in the front.

"You and lady Mal did not get along?" Fauna asked, her voice sharp.

"No, ma'am…" CJ simply answered.

"We will discuss these indiscretions during the testimonies." Merlin interrupted, before Fauna could get a quick word in. "Back to your request. Now, you never requested to be legally brought into Auradon before you got here. Only now that you're here, you suddenly ask for permission?"

CJ's head turned beet red, but Merlin continued speaking before she could interject.

"According to the statement you and your attorney drafted for us…" Merlin went on as he quickly reached for another paper in front of him. "You were part of the crew led by the terrorist known as Solomon with the goal of destroying Auradon."

Persistent murmuring immediately erupted behind Mal, as numerous people apparently thought it necessary to discuss this revelation.

"Order!" Fairy Godmother immediately bellowed, turning the courtroom dead quiet again.

"That statement was correct?" Merlin went on, as if he hadn't been interrupted.

"Y-yes…" CJ practically whispered.

"Could you repeat that?" Merlin requested.

"Yes." CJ repeated, more clearly.

"You accompanied this Solomon and his associates to Auradon?" Merlin continued.

"Yes." CJ answered.

"Would you mind explaining to the court how you did this? How did you and your associates penetrate the barrier?" Merlin inquired.

"Yeah, ehm… Okay, so Solomon had this weird, ehm, power he got from his father…" CJ began.

"The Horned King, correct?" Dallben asked in his shaky voice.

"Yes, that's him…" CJ replied.

"You would happen to know anything of his current whereabouts?" Dallben followed up.

"No… Well, ehm, I'm not sure… He hadn't been seen on the isle for a while when I left… There was a rumor going around that Solomon had, ehm, killed him…" CJ recounted.

More persistent murmuring among the crowd, and even Mal had to admit she found herself somewhat stupefied. She had always known that Solomon was a complete maniac and that he and his father had had a rocky relationship to say the least, but she had know idea that even someone as deranged as Solomon would be able to perform a crime like this.

"You're saying this Solomon is a patricide?" Yen Sid said through his clenched jaw.

"That was the rumor…" CJ meekly confirmed.

"Right… So, you were saying that this Solomon inherited some power from his father?" Merlin got back to the point.

"Yes, but, ehm, I don't really know any specifics…" CJ nodded.

"What were these powers? How did he use them to penetrate the barrier?" Merlin asked.

"Ehm, he was able to freely pass through the barrier… I don't really know how it works, b-but I know that he can do it." CJ spoke.

"What was your plan to enter Auradon?" Merlin went on.

"Alright, so… So Solomon went first, alone… The rest of us stayed on the isle with the cauldron and waited for his signal. We had agreed that Solomon would make a, ehm, make a hole in the barrier so we could get out." CJ rambled.

"A hole in the barrier?" Fairy Godmother spoke up. "From outside of the barrier? How?"

CJ attempted to throw up her hands, only to find them still shackled to the table. "Oh, ehm, I have no idea… Magic is not my strong suit…"

"Was he in possession of any type of magical relic? Something to amplify his abilities?" Fairy Godmother went on.

"I don't think so…" CJ began. "It was just him, the cauldron was still with us on the isle."

"And you were to bring the cauldron to him when he opened the barrier for you?" Merlin asked.

"Yes, we made the cross in a small boat before meeting Solomon again on the mainland." CJ explained.

"How many of you were there?" Yen Sid inquired.

"Ehm… There was me, Uma, Harry, Gil, Zevon, Maddy, Clay, Anthony and, ehm, two others… so, ten of us made the cross and Solomon awaited us." CJ recounted.

The members of the judge's table hastily made some notes before addressing CJ again.

"When did you arrive here?" Merlin asked.

"Ehm, a couple of months back… I-I'm not sure…" CJ stammered.

"Now, where did you go? As I'm sure you've heard, Auradon forces have been patrolling most parts of the kingdom ever since you made your presence known. Did you have some sort of hideout?" Merlin continued.

"Yes, a-a tower… An old tower on a hill in the middle of a forest." CJ quickly replied.

Archer notably sat up a little, as did many other people in the room.

"A tower in the middle of the forest? Did you happen to have headed east after you landed in Auradon?" Merlin added.

"I, ehm… M-maybe… I'm not sure…" CJ mumbled.

Yen Sid made a small scoffing sound as he too scrabbled a few things down in his notebook.

"Would you be able to point out the location on a map?" Merlin went on.

"Ehm, I think so…" CJ nodded.

Merlin gave a slight gesture with his right hand and not two seconds later a servant showed up from a door behind the judge's bench holding a map of Auradon. The servant walked over to where CJ sat and placed the map in front of her.

CJ looked up at both the servant and the members of the judge's bench before observing the map.

"Ehm… Here… Around this place…" CJ said, pointing at the map.

Mal, Ben and Archer all craned their necks to see where CJ was pointing. They all gasped a little when they saw the place CJ pointed out, which was a little north of Corona and not even that far from Auradon City itself.

"You're certain of this?" Merlin asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah… We, ehm, Solomon had a map that he used to, like, lay out plans and all that…" CJ explained. "T-this was on there…"

More furious scrabbling from all the members of the judge's bench.

"Will the other villains keep using this hideout, even when they know you're missing?" Merlin questioned on.

"Ehm, maybe… I mean, t-they're not stupid… Well, most of them aren't…" CJ shrugged.

Mal and Ben were the only ones who noticed Archer's snickering and Ben quickly elbowed him in the side.

"Right…" Merlin began again. "Now, when you established your hideout, what was your plan?"

"Our plan?" CJ responded.

"Your exact plan. The message your ally broadcasted throughout the kingdom stated that you wanted to conquer Auradon, how were you planning to go about it?" Merlin added.

"He is not my ally!" CJ grunted, grumpily looking down at her table. "But, ehm… The plan was to make our presence known and then just, ehm, performing small raids and such…"

"That's it?" Yen Sid questioned. "Not much of an invasion, is it?"

"That was only the start of the plan!" CJ snapped, growing a little more aggressive. "Solomon had it all figured out and, I mean, he didn't tell us everything… In any case, what he did say was that it was also out goal to make as many people as possible flee for Auradon City."

"Auradon City?" Fairy Godmother spoke up. "Why there?"

"I, ehm, I'm not sure…" CJ answered, immediately cowering a little when she saw that exasperated looks of most members of the judge's table. "B-but those raids were also to get, ehm, the army away from the shore."

Now everyone in the room perked up, including Mal.

"Why do you want the army away from the shore?" Yen Sid carefully asked.

"I don't want it! That lunatic wants it!" CJ retorted.

"Answer the question!" Yen Sid snapped. "Why was the plan to lure Auradon defenses away from shore?"

"So that the others can make the cross." CJ explained.

Mal quickly shared a fearful look with Ben, who looked back at her with equally wide eyes.

"Others?" Merlin asked after the judge's table had grown silent for a bit.

"Yes, the others." CJ went on. "The rest of the people who wanted to join the invasion. There are hundreds of them on the isle, waiting for Solomon's sign to make the cross."

The silence in the room was suddenly deafening and Mal felt a sick, twisted feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Hundreds?" Merlin eventually mumbled, the pen in his trembling hand resting above his notebook.

"Yeah…" CJ sighed. "Last I'd heard at least…"

"There are hundreds of your allies on the isle of the lost… All waiting to make the cross into Auradon?" Yen Sid asked.

"They're not my allies!" CJ scoffed. "But yes, we tried to get as much of the Auradon forces away from shore to make it easier for them to arrive."

"And then what!?" Yen Sid sneered. "You try to take on the entirety of Auradon's forces with a few hundred villain kids?"

CJ seemed taken aback by Yen Sid's outburst, and beside her, Mal saw Archer ball up his fists.

"I don't want that…" CJ mumbled, barely audible. "I never wanted that…"

"Answer the question." Yen Sid demanded. "What was to be the plan after the others would make the cross?"

CJ's nostrils flared as she stared daggers at Yen Sid. "I don't know for sure. Solomon made all the plans himself he wasn't always kind enough to include us in his delirious thoughts."

"Surely there had to have been some sort of outline?" Yen Sid proposed.

"Ehm, get the others from the isle, regroup and, I don't know, use the cauldron maybe? I mean, that's basically what got all this craziness started." CJ offered.

"Use the black cauldron?" Dallben asked in a trembling voice.

CJ nodded, looking intently at Dallben.

"Do you know if he has successfully operated the relic already?" Dallben continued.

"Ehm…" CJ quickly glanced in Archer's direction. "Well… He says that he knows how to do it… He made this whole deal about taking magic from other people on the isle…"

"That corresponds with the news we received from the last encounter with the isle of the lost." Fauna jumped in. "According to the reports from lady Mal and others, I mean. They also stated that this Solomon was gathering magical energy."

"To activate the cauldron? Is that correct?" Yen Sid pondered, looking over at Dallben.

"That is supposedly one way to operate the relic, yes." Dallben explained, stroking his chin. "Through gaining magical energy one can, what you call, 'override' the magical lock on the cauldron. Otherwise, one is in need of a willing sacrifice and a means for the cauldron to be able to supplement its power."

"You're saying anyone can use the cauldron through the means of a sacrifice?" Fauna questioned.

"Technically, yes. But the sacrifice must be made willingly and operating the relic requires a certain malign and destructive intent." Dallben contemplated.

"Did he not know this? This Solomon?" Merlin directed himself at CJ. "Did he know that the cauldron could be activated through means of a sacrifice?"

"I don't think so." CJ quickly answered. "If he had known, I think he would not have thought twice about throwing one of his followers in there."

"Is he that cruel?" Fauna asked with a bit of a disgusted undertone.

"He is, believe me." CJ scoffed.

"Right…" Fairy Godmother began before anyone else could interfere. "So, what you've thus far told us is useful information about the villains' whereabouts and their plans…"

"How do we know if she tells the truth?" Fauna asked Fairy Godmother as she eyed CJ suspiciously.

"I am telling the truth!" CJ immediately yelled.

"Silence, please." Fairy Godmother immediately told CJ, though not unkindly.

"B-but I am…" CJ began.

"I must still ask you to remain silent." Fairy godmother interrupted her. "You have given the general background information as to your recent past with these villains, but we'll need to hear a little more before moving on to the testimonies of the witnesses."

CJ opened her mouth again, saw the stern look Fairy Godmother gave her, and chose to remain silent.

"Good." Fairy Godmother smiled. "Now… You have already admitted to joining up with Solomon and his followers to invade Auradon…"

CJ again wanted to interfere, but Fairy Godmother talked on.

"Only now, after having already entered the kingdom illegally, do you request legal access. Please tell us why you joined up with the attackers in the first place." Fairy Godmother spoke.

"I was forced!" CJ immediately cried out, silencing the entire room. "I never wanted to invade Auradon! When that lunatic came back to the isle with the cauldron, I told him I wanted nothing to with him. He only came to me after he realized he needed Freddie for his plans!"

"Why would he come to you for that?" Yen Sid asked.

"Because Freddie and I were close friends on the isle." CJ answered somewhat hesitantly. "He wanted to get to her through me. At the time, I was being hunted on the isle from all sides and he offered me protection in exchange for my cooperation."

"Protection from whom?" Fauna questioned.

"My sister mostly, Harriet Hook. Others were Uma and himself as well actually. After he realized he needed me, he gave me a choice; join him or basically set myself up to become a whipping post." CJ sneered.

"He forced you to join him on the isle under the threat of violence?" Fairy Godmother asked in a bit of a perplexed tone.

"Yes, otherwise I would have steered clear from that maniac." CJ grumpily mumbled.

"But you did join up with him and the others?" Merlin inquired.

"Because he forced me!" CJ went on, sounding more and more agitated.

"When you joined him, what did you do? What was your part in the scheme?" Merlin continued.

"Nothing much." CJ shrugged, trying to lean back in her chair only to find out yet again that she couldn't move her arms. "Small errands mostly. He knew he couldn't trust me, so he just kept me busy."

"And what about the time you spent here in Auradon?" Yen Sid spoke up. "You did join the other villains here, why?"

"Again, I had two choices…" CJ sighed. "Either come here with Solomon, Uma and some others, or stay on the isle with my bitch of a sister."

"Watch your language, young lady!" Fauna spat, her nostrils flared.

CJ jerked back a little, obviously somewhat disconcerted from being reprimanded.

"You chose to accompany the son of the Horned King over staying on the isle with your sister?" Fairy Godmother asked, her tone growing both increasingly shocked and interested.

"Yes." CJ quickly answered. "Here I thought I could at least be of some use. If I would have stayed on the isle, Harriet would have locked me up in a second!"

"Your relationship is really that bad?" Merlin asked with a hint of pity.

"Yes." CJ moped, casting her eyes downward again.

"So, you're saying you did not go along voluntarily?" Merlin added, scrabbling a few words.

"Yes! How many times do I have to say that!?" CJ snapped.

"Remain calm, please." Fairy Godmother warned her while also sneaking a glance at Fauna, who looked down disdainfully at CJ.

"But I want you to know that I never wanted this!" CJ pleaded. "I-I never wanted anyone to get hurt and I don't want to go back to the others!"

Every member of the judge's table exchanged a look with each other.

"We have some more questions." Yen Sid eventually announced.

CJ sighed and nodded before sitting up straight again.

"You have said your part about how you joined up with the villains in Auradon and some of your, ehm, other exploits… But we need some clarification surrounding certain occurrences of the past months." Yen Sid continued.

CJ nodded again.

"Months ago, two Auradonian civilians were held captive on the isle, where one was used for ransom and the other severely injured." Yen Sid read out loud from one of his notes. "Do you have any knowledge of this?"

"I do." CJ meekly confirmed.

"Did you take part in this heinous act?" Yen Sid went on.

"Well, ehm…" CJ contemplated. "I was on look-out. I didn't know precisely what was going on and, ehm, I was only really needed when Mal was saved."

"Then what happened?" Yen Sid questioned as he scribbled a few notes.

"Ehm, we were told to stop them. The people who came to save Mal…" CJ recounted, quickly glancing back at both Mal and Archer. "They got away though…"

"Did you run into any of the people who came to save lady Mal?" Fairy Godmother asked, seemingly already knowing the answer.

CJ again quickly glanced back at Archer. "Y-yes… Yes, I ran into one…"

"Please describe the encounter." Fairy Godmother requested.

"Ehm, well… It was on the roofs…" CJ began. "Everyone was running for the docks, where a boat was waiting, I think, to pick everyone up… I was with a few others and we were just scouting the roofs when we saw one of them running off."

"Do you know who?" Fairy Godmother went on.

"Archer." CJ immediately answered. "It was Archer."

A little more persistent murmuring erupted in the courtroom as many eyes moved over to where Archer currently sat with a stiff back.

"And you fought, correct?" Fairy Godmother asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, but he escaped eventually." CJ described.

"After you wounded him." Fairy Godmother stated, touting her lips.

CJ started blushing. "Yes, b-but that was before all this…"

"Silence, please." Yen Sid demanded with a stern look at CJ.

"You injured Archer, the son of king Arthur?" Merlin asked with a deep frown.

"Yes…" CJ hesitantly answered, cowering in her seat.

Merlin almost audibly exhaled through his nose and he pursed his lips before Yen Sid spoke up again.

"I think that we've heard enough on that account. Following that and your arrival on Auradonian shores, you first made your presence known through the attack on Auradon prep, did you have any part in it?"

"No, that was all Solomon. I-I still don't really know what happened there." CJ admitted.

"An evil spell was unleashed upon the building, shattering all its glass." Fauna explained in an icy tone. "Dozens of students were injured and the building had to be subjected to magical restoring."

"Oh…" CJ mumbled, visibly distraught.

"Did you know he was planning this?" Yen Sid asked.

"Ehm, he said he would do something to get, ehm, your attention, but I didn't know what." CJ told him.

"But you did nothing to dissuade him from performing the heinous act?" Fauna went on with a frown.

"It's not like my opinion mattered to him." CJ spat. "If I would have tried to stop him, he would have just killed me."

"He would 'kill' one of his own for simply standing in his way?" Fauna questioned, sounding skeptical.

"Yes, definitely." CJ answered so resolutely that everyone on the judge's bench looked perplexed.

"Right, ehm, moving on…" Merlin mumbled. "There were numerous raids, ambushes and other skirmishes throughout the weeks following the attack on Auradon prep, are you aware of that?"

"Yes." CJ replied.

"What was your part in those?" Merlin continued.

"I, ehm… I only went on one raid… The first one…" CJ hesitantly recounted. "B-but I didn't really do anything… It, ehm, it just felt pointless to me…"

"Pointless?" Fairy Godmother spoke up before anyone else. "Pointless how?"

"I mean, these people hadn't done anything to me… They didn't do anything wrong… We just destroyed everything there for no good reason… I didn't like that…" CJ murmured.

"And you said that you only went on that one raid, none more after that?" Merlin asked.

"No, I wasn't allowed to tag along anymore if I wouldn't go around mindlessly destroying things." CJ sneered.

"You weren't allowed to come along? Who gave that order?" Merlin added.

"Solomon, of course. That maniac put himself in charge." CJ scoffed.

"And he forbid you for raiding with the others, simply because you weren't destructive enough?" Merlin went on.

"Yes!" CJ practically yelled out.

Merlin nodded and scraped his throat before continuing. "Right, following those events there was another major attack, this time on the newly established Auradon orphanage for children from the isle. Were you aware of this?"

Mal her stomach twist uncomfortably when thinking back on the destruction of her beloved orphanage and all the trouble that arose following that disaster. She paid a little more attention to CJ as well, who in the meantime had gone as red as a beet.

"I… I… Ehm, y-yes… I-I knew of it…" CJ meekly answered, not looking up to meet anyone's eyes.

"For the record, do you know who performed this action?" Merlin questioned.

"Solomon…" CJ muttered.

"Do you know how he performed it?" Merlin added.

CJ just shook her head, still not meeting anyone's eyes.

"It was a dark and dangerous spell he used." Merlin assured her. "It can be called a miracle that no one got hurt. Now, do you know why he targeted the orphanage specifically?"

"Ehm…" CJ uncomfortably rubbed her hands as she seemingly contemplated an answer. "R-revenge mostly… During a-a raid my brother was, ehm, badly beaten up… Like, he nearly died from his wounds…"

Mal immediately whipped around to stare at Ben, who looked as though he was about to be sick. Without anyone noticing, Mal reached for his hand and supportively squeezed it.

"Everyone was going mad about it… T-they wanted revenge… I wanted revenge…" CJ cited.

"You wanted revenge?" Fauna asked in a pervasive tone.

"They hurt my brother!" CJ exclaimed.

"So, you burn down an orphanage?" Fauna shouted incredulously.

"I didn't do that! I just, ehm… I just…" CJ stammered.

"Yes?" Merlin spoke up.

"I-I suggested it… I had read about the orphanage in a paper and knew that it was something Mal would care about…" CJ admitted, seemingly trying to hide in her chair as much as possible.

Mal felt as though a bucket of ice-cold water was poured over her at once. She was certain her eyes had started glowing as she began breathing heavily. Ben noticed the signs and immediately squeezed Mal's hand reassuringly in an effort to calm her down. All around her, she heard the persistent whispering of the other people present in the room. Even with her eyes firmly pointed forward, she could practically feel everyone looking at her or CJ in either shock or outrage.

It took a while for Mal to get her thoughts back on track. All of the relatively even-minded thoughts and feelings she had built up about CJ over the past few days had been completely erased. CJ just admitted that she had been the one to tell Solomon of the orphanage, meaning that if it hadn't been for her, all that trouble could have been avoided.

"You admit to having told this Solomon of the orphanage?" Merlin inquired, sounding relatively shocked.

"Y-yes, okay? I did, but I had no idea what he was gonna do! I-I was j-just so angry at the time, b-but I-I really regret it… I never wanted anyone to get hurt…" CJ rambled.

"And yet you send a murderous maniac straight for a group of defenseless children!?" Fauna exclaimed, her nostrils flared again.

"I-it was an accident…" CJ stuttered. "I-I didn't know… I regret it…"

More and more people in the room started speaking up. Some yelled downright obscenities at CJ, while others simply shouted questions or remarks towards the people behind the judge's bench.

Beside Mal and Ben, Archer had fallen silent. He simply stared at CJ's back as she too had fallen back in her chair, apparently too embarrassed to look anyone in the eye. Judging from the look in Archer's eyes, CJ had not told him of this particular fact. This again made Mal wonder. If CJ had not told him about this, then what else could she have kept hidden?


	40. Chapter 40: Testimony

**A few reactions to reviews:**

 **\- Hades is Mal's father in this story and complications surrounding that will appear later in the story.**

 **\- Have faith in Mal and most others, eventually they'll come around.**

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 **After hearing your reactions, I guess I'll make this into a trilogy. Keep an eye out for future chapters for any announcements surrounding it all.**

 **A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

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Chapter 40: Testimony

"Did you know!?" Mal immediately asked Archer in a pressing manner once they'd left the courtroom.

Following that relatively controversial final statement made by CJ in her trial, Fairy Godmother had called for an intermission so that most people could clear their head for a minute. In a relatively small space next to the courtroom, Mal had been joined by Ben, Archer, Lancelot, Freddie and Evie.

"Did you know!?" Mal repeated, getting more into Archer's face.

"No." He answered, his tone clearly agitated and sad.

"You didn't bother to find out if your girlfriend was somehow responsible for a freaking terrorist attack!?" Mal fell out at Archer, gesturing wildly.

"Girlfriend?" Lancelot, Freddie and Evie all exclaimed, looking intently at Archer.

"Well sorry, but inquiring about illegal activity is not really something that first comes to mind when I meet new people!" Archer spat, not letting Mal walk all over him.

"Girlfriend?" Evie repeated, shaking her head a little.

"Archer…" Ben began. "Is this, ehm… Does this influence your decision at all?"

"No!" Archer practically yelled. "Did you not see her there in the court? I don't think I've ever seen someone so full of regret!"

"Regret doesn't bring the orphanage back!" Mal spat.

"Neither does punishing CJ!" Archer retorted.

"Well, without her we wouldn't have to be afraid of more orphanages getting blown up!" Mal scoffed.

"She's harmless! She can't do anything on her own and she doesn't want to go back to the bad guys!" Archer pointed out.

"She is a bad guy!" Mal shouted.

"Not anymore!" Archer snapped.

"Guys!" Ben roared, making everyone in the room jump slightly in surprise. "I, ehm, look…" He began, still obviously conflicted about his decision. "We need to stay level-headed here…"

"How can you say that!?" Mal exclaimed, looking at Ben perplexed. "Ben, she destroyed the orphanage! Our orphanage!"

"She didn't destroy anything!" Archer jumped in.

"She told Solomon of it! She might as well have burned it down herself!" Mal retorted.

"She regrets it! She regrets telling him, w-which is all she did!" Archer went on.

"I told you that she couldn't be trusted!" Mal replied.

"Mal, come on… I-it's in the past… She's here now and she really is sorry…" Archer sighed.

"What do you guys think?" Mal asked, turning to Lancelot, Freddie and Evie.

All of them looked sort of shocked and embarrassed at being called out by Mal, first exchanging looks with each other before Freddie spoke up.

"Mal, you know that we, ehm, have a history…" Freddie began.

"Yes, but I need you to be impartial during the trial, we all have to." Mal replied.

"But you know that's hard for me, right?" Freddie hesitantly said. "Mal, CJ and I go way back and I know how she felt on the isle when you guys left for Auradon. I-I still want her to be happy… A-and Auradon forgave you and me for our mistakes, so why not her?"

"CJ invaded Auradon." Mal coldly answered.

"Not out of free will." Freddie shrugged. "She was trapped between a rock and a hard place… She needed to survive…"

"Does that matter? Do her intentions matter when the results are this disastrous?" Mal questioned.

"They should!" Archer fell in. "S-she was blackmailed! She cannot be held accountable!"

"Archer?" Evie suddenly spoke up, making Archer whip his head around to look at her. "What did Mal mean when she called CJ your girlfriend?"

A blush worked its way up Archer's cheeks as he looked at Evie, his mouth opening and closing without any sound coming out.

Freddie and Lancelot had also whipped their heads around to look at Archer, both staring at him rather accusingly.

"What I meant was that this bozo fell for CJ during their little mountain trip." Mal spat, almost sounding disgusted by her own words.

"What!?" Lancelot, Freddie and Evie exclaimed.

"I-it's not that big of a deal…" Archer tried to shush the situation by putting up his hands.

"Not a big deal!?" Lancelot spoke up. "Archer, she could be manipulating you!"

"That's what I thought!" Mal pointed out.

"Mal!" Ben interjected. "Mal, you and I both heard what CJ said… I thought we made up our mind on that…"

"That was before I found out what she did!" Mal replied, not paying any attention to the questioning looks of the others. "Now I realized what I knew all along! She cannot be trusted!"

"What did CJ say!?" Freddie fell in before anyone could reply.

"Archer wanted to convince us that CJ also had feelings for him, so he-" Ben began.

"She what!?" Freddie shouted, her eyes wide as she immediately looked at Archer.

"H-hey, I was right…" Archer shrugged.

"S-she… C-CJ has feelings for you?" Freddie stammered, eyes nearly bulging out of her head.

Archer looked sort of embarrassed as he rubbed his neck and tried his obvious best not to look at Freddie.

"Archer thought of a plan to try and convince Mal and me that CJ is not manipulating him." Ben explained. "He went to her just before the trial and offered to break her out if things were to go wrong for her…"

"Archer!?" Lancelot exclaimed, seemingly shocked.

"It was just to see her reaction." Ben quickly added. "And, ehm… Well, she said that she didn't want Archer to screw up his life just to save her… She really does care for him…"

Lancelot still looked perplexed, while Freddie looked more of a mix between hurt and totally confused. Evie, meanwhile, had trouble suppressing a wide smile.

"Wow…" Evie eventually mumbled, making everyone look at her. "What?" She asked. "As far as tales of love go that's a pretty good one."

As soon as he heard the 'L-word', Archer started blushing even more and uncomfortably looked at his feet.

"You cannot be serious, right?" Lancelot suddenly spoke up. "I mean, you cannot really have feelings for a prisoner who's on trial…"

"It's not really something I planned for, Lance." Archer sneered. "Look, it happened… A-and in a way it only helped me realize that I need to do what's right."

"We still aren't sure what's right." Mal said. "Archer, what if the judges do condemn her?"

"That won't happen." Archer stubbornly persisted.

"Archer…" Ben jumped in, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Look, I know you're sure of what you're doing, but logically speaking it could still go either way…"

"I can't sit idly by here, Ben." Archer hissed. "Not anymore…"

"Yeah, and whose fault is that?" Mal scoffed.

"Jeez, I apologize for my freaking feelings!" Archer spat.

"Are you serious!?" Lancelot repeated. "You're absolutely, one hundred percent certain?"

"I, well… Ehm, like, who's one hundred percent certain about anything?" Archer sneered.

"I'm one hundred percent certain that CJ should be thrown in jail!" Mal announced, crossing her arms.

"You promised to keep an open mind…" Archer sighed.

"You try to keep an open mind when you just found out a person you hate destroyed your orphanage." Mal retorted.

"She didn't destroy-" Archer began.

"She told Solomon!" Mal interrupted him.

"A-after Ben almost killed her brother!" Archer pointed out.

"Hey!" Ben jumped in. "That degenerate nearly killed Mal!"

"Guys! Guys! Guys!" Evie suddenly yelled, silencing everyone before any more accusations could be made. Everyone in the room looked at Evie, momentarily silent as she composed herself. "Guys, we shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves… We still have a common enemy…"

"B-but…" Mal sputtered, before Evie raised a hand to shush her.

"M, I know how you feel about, ehm, her… I really do… And I know how you feel about the orphanage and your history… But… Times have changed… People have changed… From what I've heard, CJ wants out… I believe we should give her that chance." Evie said.

"You what?" Mal exclaimed, sounding perplexed.

"M, Auradon has given us so much… I don't think we should actively try to keep people out simply because we're not fond of them. We need to give CJ an honest chance…" Evie confidently answered.

"B-but… But look at what she did!" Mal pointed out.

"We have all done terrible things in our past…" Evie sighed. "If she is able to help make our future better, then I'm all for it…"

"Thank you." Archer stated, looking back at Mal with a hint of annoyance.

Mal looked around the room in search of people who supported her, but mainly saw people averting their eyes. "Lance, I mean, you're on my side here, right?"

Lancelot looked up, somewhat shocked that Mal of all people asked for his opinion. He scraped his throat before answering. "Now, look… I personally have nothing against the girl as a means of a past grudge. When looking at her actions, this trial is justified. It is not my place to pass absolute judgement, that is up to the council. I do not condone her actions, far from it, but if she is willing to better herself and help our cause I believe it to be our duty as Auradonians to give her the freedom to do so."

Now Mal looked downright grumpy as Archer patted Lancelot on the shoulder in a thankful gesture.

"Mal…" Ben spoke up, making everyone look at him. "I know you're distraught about this, so am I, but I do need you to remain truthful when testifying. No matter how you feel about this, lying to the court is a punishable act."

Mal rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah… I know that and I'm not just gonna, you know, lie…"

"Good." Ben replied as he looked down at his watch. "Break's almost over and then you'll be the first to testify. I suggest we head back to the courtroom."

There was some affirmative mumbling as everyone crowded towards the exit. Mal was still cranky and kept her arms stubbornly crossed. She got even more annoyed when she heard Evie whisper persistently over the now present murmuring of all the people in the room.

"So, Archer, is she a good kisser?" Evie giggled, making Archer blush heavily.

"The court would like call lady Mal of Auradon to the witness stand." Fairy Godmother announced to the already silent courtroom.

Mal stood up, her hands shaking slightly, and approached the small, wooden podium where she would sit down and tell her story.

She passed CJ, who gave her a rebellious, yet fearful glare, but Mal tried not to show any emotion. The eyes of the members of the council of five followed her, as did those of the hundreds of people behind her. The walk seemed endless, but Mal eventually made it to the witness stand where calmly sat down before looking at Fairy Godmother.

"Thank you for agreeing to this, lady Mal." She stated as she straightened out the pile of papers in front of her. "We have several questions we shall ask along with your testimony, I ask you to answer these truthfully and to the best of your ability, do you understand?"

"Yes." Mal shortly answered, already feeling a blush creep up her cheeks.

"Do you know the defendant?" Fairy Godmother began, nudging her head a little in CJ's direction.

"Yes, I do." Mal truthfully replied, also quickly glancing at CJ.

"How long have you known her?" Fairy Godmother went on.

"Ehm, since she was born basically… All kids on the isle knew each other." Mal recounted.

"What was your relationship growing up in your early years?" Fairy Godmother inquired.

"We, ehm… We were cool… Aside from the general craziness of the isle… I had a group of close associates, CJ occasionally tagged along." Mal told the court.

"Associates? Not friends?" Fairy Godmother questioned.

"We don't see each other as friends on the isle, it's just not how we did things…" Mal mumbled.

"But you did associate yourself with the defendant?" Fairy Godmother went on.

"Yes." Mal answered.

"And you would describe this as a positive relationship?" Fairy Godmother added.

"Yeah, back then…" Mal replied with a sneering undertone.

"The defendant already stated that you did not get along, but you state the opposite, could you elaborate on the reason for this?" Yen Sid spoke up.

"Yeah, ehm… I mean, in our youth everything was, ehm, fine… We grew apart and, ehm, things just went from bad to worse…" Mal explained.

"Could you describe the events surrounding this animosity more clearly?" Yen Sid asked.

Mal quickly glanced over at Ben, who nodded encouragingly at her. She carefully breathed in before turning towards the jury again and beginning her story. She did not leave out any details as she started describing her gang activity on the isle and CJ's occasional role in it. She recounted their botched robbery of Hades' ember and how she had left CJ behind in a panic. She described several other small scuffles between them, and the time CJ had left her in the water.

Mal noticed a definite shift in atmosphere in the courtroom as she described that last encounter, with most people present, including the jury, glaring uneasily at CJ, who did not look up in either shame or just general unease.

Following that, she described how she and her friends went about the process of allowing people from the isle into Auradon, during which CJ began looking at her more grumpily again. Mal talked about her trip to the isle, and how she had not seen CJ anywhere during the beating she had taken. Finally, she recounted in detail the fight she and her friends had had with the enemy in the woods of Auradon, which was the last time she had seen CJ before Archer had brought her to Beast Castle.

The jury largely stayed quiet during Mal's entire monologue, safe from the occasional small question of clarification. Every once in a while they addressed CJ, mainly to ask for confirmation, but CJ had little to no real objections to Mal's tales.

Mal and CJ's eyes met numerous times throughout the ordeal, and Mal could swear she saw the same regret she felt when recounting their past mirrored in CJ's eyes.

There was a short silence after Mal finished her story where the members of the jury scribbled some more notes down in their respective notepads. Finally, it was Merlin who spoke up.

"Alright, lady Mal… Your testimony has given us a great insight and we thank you for that. Now, we have one final question for you, since you are someone who has a, ehm, rich history with the defendant…" The aging wizard began.

Mal just nodded, uncertain of what they expected of her.

"Do you believe Ms. Hook should have her past crimes be forgiven and be allowed into Auradon?" Merlin asked.

Mal's eyes widened as she immediately whipped her head around to stare at CJ, as well as Ben and Archer who sat right behind her. CJ had an almost pleading expression now that her freedom practically depended on Mal's answer to this question. Ben looked uncertain and almost a little uneasy, but Archer looked both hopeful and stern.

"I-I…" Mal stammered. "I don't know…" She eventually brought out.

A soft murmuring again erupted among the benches filled with people, many of whom looked uncertainly at each other.

"You don't know if the defendant should be allowed into Auradon?" Fauna asked, squinting a little.

Mal straightened her back and confidently looked back at the members of the council. "I am not the person who should make that decision. Try as I might, the history between me and CJ clouds my judgement and I could never make this decision without that prejudice shining through. However… I do listen to my friends… They're good people… Most of them are willing to let CJ in and even proposed to help her better herself… This is Auradon, right? Punishing people has never been our strong suit, and I really hope it stays that way…"

A deep silence fell over the audience, many of whom had raised their eyebrows so high that they nearly disappeared. No one looked more shocked than CJ herself, whose jaw had practically fallen to the floor. Ben had one of the broadest smiles Mal had ever seen and both Belle and Adam appeared to be filled with pride. Archer had fallen back in his seat and looked on a little disbelieving. Above her, Carlos and Jay had enthusiastically raised their thumbs while Evie smiles at her and wiped away a tear at the same time.

"Right… T-that will be all then…" Fairy Godmother suddenly stammered, a little shakily. "Y-you may return to your seat…"

Mal gratefully stood up and slowly walked along the marble floor, back to her seat. She passed Belle and Adam, both of whom patted her on the shoulder, before sitting down next to Ben.

"That was amazing…" He whispered to her once he took a gentle hold of her hand.

"I didn't know I had it in me…" Mal sighed with a small smile.

"I did." Ben grinned, squeezing her hand affectionately.

Mal smiled back but was interrupted by Fairy Godmother before she could say anything else.

"Right, the court would like to call forth the next witness to give their testimony, Freddie Facilier…" She addressed to the courtroom.

Freddie sat just behind Mal, and so she turned around in her seat to watch Freddie stand up shakily and walk the same route Mal had just taken towards the witness stand. From her position in the audience, Mal could more clearly hear the murmuring from the crowd as many people in the back craned their necks to study Freddie.

When Freddie finally took her place and had already exchanged a few awkward looks with CJ, Fairy Godmother started speaking to her.

"State your name for the court please, sweetie." She said in a kind tone.

"Ehm, F-Freddie Facilier…" Freddie stuttered.

"Your doctor Facilier's daughter?" Yen Sid asked.

"Yes, sir…" Freddie mumbled.

Yen Sid just nodded and did not pursue the subject any further.

"Do you know the defendant?" Merlin asked.

Freddie quickly glanced at CJ, who in turn could not keep her eyes off of Freddie. "Yes, she's a friend of mine."

"A friend? Even now?" Yen Sid jumped in.

"I'd like to think so. Sure, we've not seen each other in a while… But you don't just give up on friends…" Freddie answered, giving CJ a strange look.

"Right…" Yen Sid began, also looking suspiciously at CJ. "Could you describe your history? Did you know each other growing up?"

"Of course we did…" Freddie started off with a small giggle. "We were both a little on the younger side, CJ and I, so it was kind of inevitable that we became friends…"

"You would describe your relationship as 'friends'?" Fairy Godmother asked, also looking intently at Mal.

"I would, I don't know what she has to say about it." Freddie replied somewhat rebelliously as she pulled up an eyebrow and looked at CJ.

"And what did your friendship entail?" Fairy Godmother added.

"Well, ehm, the usual stuff… We'd help each other out, steal things together, just hang out… All that stuff…" Freddie shrugged.

"Reports from the isle of the lost always speak of a rough time growing up, did you experience any of that?" Fairy Godmother inquired.

"Yes, we all did…" Freddie replied somewhat grumpily. "There was never enough food or stuff to go around… Everything always went to whoever got their first or fought the hardest to keep it… Our parents didn't care too much, only when you didn't do enough to earn your cut…"

"Are there any, ehm, specific moments that spring to mind about the defendant? Anything you two went through together on the isle?" Fairy Godmother went on.

"Pff, where to start…" Freddie mumbled, crossing her arms. "CJ had it tougher than me… I don't know who her mother was, but she was not the first woman her father had had kids with… I was always under the impression Captain Hook wasn't that good of a father, but he treated Harry and Harriet better than he did CJ…"

Mal looked closely at CJ, who mainly looked away as Freddie told her story. Mal knew how tough it was to talk about painful memories of your youth, especially if you came from the isle.

"CJ stayed with me quite often. Sometimes just for fun but other times she needed a place to lay low. Sometimes she came over with a black eye, a bloody nose or some other injury, other times she just needed someone to talk to… There was this one time when I ran an errand for my dad, when I got jumped by some thugs… They dragged me to an alley a-and I don't know what they would have done… But CJ was there eventually and she saved me… At the cost of a broken arm that was…" Freddie kept on rambling, the first tears appearing in her eyes.

No one in the room made a sound as all eyes were on Freddie. Even the members of the jury seemed to be momentarily stupefied. Beside her, Mal noticed that Ben had clenched his jaw and looked on uneasily, something he always did whenever the rough youth people had had on the isle was discussed.

"CJ was a good kid, or, ehm, better than most at least. There were people on the isle who… Who just wanted to hurt… CJ never really did anything unprovoked…" Freddie finished.

"Lady Mal just gave her testimony on one incident involving the defendant. By all accounts that was a heinous crime." Yen Sid stated, making CJ shrink down just a little more in her seat.

"Yeah, well… Ehm, I mean, but that wasn't really, ehm… I mean, Mal and CJ hated each other, everyone knew that…" Freddie stammered. "A-and I said CJ never did anything unprovoked… I mean, she's done, like, plenty of things on the isle…"

Mal closed her eyes and groaned inwardly as Freddie just went on.

"Like, one time a boy from school pulled on her braid, so she flooded his house… Another time some guy didn't let CJ and I into his store, so she threw a bucket of rotten fish through his window… Okay, she might need a few tweaks, but I'm sure she can learn…" Freddie hesitantly finished.

"She flooded a boy's house because he pulled on her braid?" Fauna asked in a disbelieving tone.

"Well, he did pull really hard…" Freddie mumbled.

Everyone on the judge's bench looked incredulously at CJ, who could only nudge her head a little as if to say it wasn't that big of a deal.

"Anything else you'd like to mention about your time on the isle?" Fairy Godmother then got back to Freddie, though she sounded a little unsure.

"Yes, one more thing…" Freddie began. "After, ehm, CJ fell out with Mal, she had a really tough time… She was with me more than ever at that time… Her sister had always hated her and her brother had already teamed up with Uma, who hated her as well. Solomon hated, ehm, just about everybody, so we steered clear of him… But anyway, CJ didn't have much… And, ehm, then I left… I'm not sure on the specifics, but the things I've heard weren't pretty… Could you ever imagine a life where there is literally nothing to make you feel good? CJ's had to live through that, so could you blame her for wanting something else?"

The people on the judge's bench exchanged a few thoughtful looks before Merlin spoke up.

"Right, young lady, now onto more recent events… Your visit to the isle of the lost a few months ago, to be precise…" The old wizard began. "Could you talk us through the event, starting from the point you first encountered the defendant?"

"Ehm, yeah… Of course…" Freddie sighed. "So… I got back to the isle via some sort of teleportation spell… I landed in my old room, which I thought was empty at the time. Apparently though, CJ had been using my room for some time as her hideout. I mean, I didn't mind since I wasn't using it anyway… So, I landed there, saw her and we started talking… About her life, about Auradon… Then, ehm, I don't know how it came up, but CJ mentioned Solomon and that she needed to do something for him…"

"The defendant came forward with that information herself?" Yen Sid asked sharply.

"Ehm, excuse me?" Freddie replied.

"The defendant, did she bring up the matter and actively try to arrange the meeting between you and this Solomon?" Yen Sid went on.

"Well, yeah, b-but… I mean, she didn't have a choice… That maniac wanted to get to me and thought CJ could be useful. If she wouldn't be useful, he would probably have hurt her…"

"But you are not certain of that?" Fauna asked with a bit of a snarl.

"Well, someone always gets hurt if Solomon's involved." Freddie sneered in a dark tone.

"Right." Merlin quickly said before Fauna could follow up her question. "Back to your testimony please…"

"Yeah, so CJ explained to me what was going on… She said that Solomon had a question to ask me and that it would really help her if I would just hear him out. Now, I wanted to help CJ because she was in a really bad place, s-so I said yes… CJ didn't think any more of it as well, she really thought that Solomon just wanted to ask me a question and that I had the right to refuse… She thought that she would be free of his clutches if she did this one thing… Anyway, CJ went off and returned a little while later with Solomon… He said his thing, that he had the cauldron and wanted to take over the world, bla bla bla… He asked me if I wanted to join him, since he thought that I had magical powers that could help him… Now, of course I said no, screw that asshole…"

"Language, young lady!" Fauna snapped.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that." Freddie quickly groaned. "But I refused, and that's when he made his true intentions clear. He wanted my magic, one way or another. When CJ realized this, she went and stood in between me and Solomon, not allowing him to get to me. That's when Uma and Harry Hook entered, and things got complicated… Solomon threatened me, saying that he would kill CJ if she wouldn't move out of the way. I told CJ to run… I didn't want her to die because she needed to protect me… CJ didn't want to go, but I made her… When she left, Solomon talked with Uma and Harry… They quickly thought of a plan to get Mal back to the isle and take her as well… Harry used my teleportation spell and disappeared… After that, Solomon performed his ritual a-and took my magic…"

You could metaphorically hear a pin drop in the courtroom as everyone either stared open-mouthed at Freddie or down at their feet in unease. Mal, Ben and all their friends were in the latter category, as they had all heard the details of Freddie's story numerous times.

"It hurt…" Freddie resumed her story, tearing up a little. "It hurt a lot when he took my magic… I-I started screaming and that must have alerted CJ, because she stormed back into the room, sword raised, and wanted to save me… She started fighting Uma as Solomon finished his spell… When he was done, I felt as though he had sucked all the blood out of my body, I could barely move anymore… Together, he and Uma overpowered CJ and knocked her out… That's the last thing I remember, after that I went out myself…"

"Right…" Merlin mumbled after Freddie had finished. "A-and after that? When did you come to?"

"The next morning…" Freddie said. "I woke up in the brig of the Lost Revenge, Uma's ship, CJ was there with me but she was still unconscious. I was, ehm, still a bit shaken up from the day before. When she eventually woke up, she had a huge bump on her head and couldn't walk or think straight… After a while, Solomon came to get me up to the deck to wait for Mal. CJ was left in the brig and, ehm, I-I don't know what happened to her afterwards. That was the last time I saw CJ before that fight in the woods."

"Very well, and do you have any details about that scuffle in the Auradonian woods?" Merlin asked.

"Ehm, n-not really… Everything was chaos… I remember seeing CJ a couple of times, b-but nothing really comes to mind…" Freddie shrugged.

"Right…" Merlin spoke again. "Well, then I shall ask you the same question I asked lady Mal. Do you believe Ms. Hook should have her past crimes be forgiven and be allowed into Auradon?"

Freddie gulped audibly, but stared up the judge's bench nonetheless. "I do… I believe she deserves a second chance, the same way we all got one when we came here. I realize that I might be a bit, you know, biased and all… But I've known CJ my entire life and please believe me when I tell you that there's good in her. If she comes to Auradon, maybe we might be able to bring out that side of her…"

Again, the audience had fallen into a deep silence, with most people looking intently at either Freddie or CJ.

CJ appeared to be having a hard time as she simply sat in her seat with her shoulders sagged and her eyes watery.

Mal felt a little awkward, hearing Freddie talk so lovingly about someone she absolutely despised. In a way though, she felt as though she had somehow been opened up to new feelings. Yes, Mal was very opinionated, sometimes to the point of stubbornness, but she always liked to think of herself as an honest person who gave everything an honest chance. Even now, with everything that had been said, she could not think a purely positive thought about CJ without what happened in their past infringing on it.

"Thank you for your testimony Ms. Facilier, you may now return to your seat." Merlin stated, nodding to Freddie.

Freddie just timidly nodded back before standing up and heading to her seat. As she walked past CJ, she gave her a soft smile. Mal could only guess the things she wanted to say to CJ.

"Right…" Merlin said as he fumbled with his papers. "Our last testimony then… Archer, dear boy, please come to the stand."

Archer immediately stood up, his back straight, and wormed his way past Ben and Mal to get to the front of the courtroom. On his way there, he quickly glanced at CJ and even Mal rolled her eyes as she saw him giving her a sly wink.

Archer eventually reached the witness stand and sat down, placing his arms in front of him.

"Will you state your name for the court, son?" Merlin asked, talking to Archer as if he was a relative, which he basically was anyway.

"Archer of Camelot, son of king Arthur of Camelot." Archer stated with a bit of an exasperated sigh.

"Archer, you know the defendant?" Merlin continued, not beating around the bush.

"I do." Archer replied, staring openly at CJ.

"So… Could you please explain the way you met?" Merlin added.

"She already described that pretty accurately." Archer said, nodding at CJ. "In her own testimony… Mal had come to me and my crew, saying she needed our help in a ransom case which actually just turned out to be a hostage exchange. She would exchange herself for Freddie, but we weren't about to just hand her over to the villains. We made up a plan to get her out. It worked, but only after Mal suffered some, ehm, injuries… We regrouped and were headed to our escape boat, that's when I first encountered CJ…"

"You were on opposite sides?" Yen Sid inquired.

"Yes, I was trying to lure the bad guys away from my crew by jumping across the roofs. It worked until one of them caught up to me and slashed me across the head." Archer began to explain. "That was CJ, she was faster than I'd accounted for… So, yeah, we fought but I eventually managed to disarm her… Than she took out a dagger, stabbed me in the leg, which forced me to push her off the roof…"

Again, a persistent mumbling erupted from behind Mal, who grew more and more annoyed by the presence of such a large number of people.

"We had managed to get both Mal and Freddie off the isle, so we thought all was okay. Through Freddie, we had managed to find out what had been happening on the isle, mainly regarding their planned invasion. Everything was relatively quiet for a while after that, until that attack on the school and the villains' announcement that they were already in Auradon. I didn't see CJ again however until that fight in the woods…" Archer went on.

"Do you have a clearer memory of that battle? Do you remember specifics about seeing the defendant there?" Yen Sid asked.

"Yes, I arrived a little later with some others, but it didn't take that long before CJ confronted me. I remembered her from the isle and you could say we had some sort of rivalry going on…" Archer stated, grinning softly.

"A rivalry?" Fauna asked, sounding perplexed. "You thought a battlefield to be the correct place for a childish scuffle?"

Archer raised his eyebrows but did not appear to be too distraught by Fauna's outburst. "I apologize if it came over that way, I want to assure you that the safety of my friends was always my primary concern…"

Mal was involuntarily impressed with the way Archer appeared to be able to wrap people around his little finger. Naturally, he had probably been trained from birth to deal with people like this and his dashing gook looks only made it easier for him.

"Very well…" Yen Sid nodded, showing a hint of respect for Archer. "The battle, please continue…"

"The battle went on for a while, and I spent most of it locked in combat with CJ. Eventually, Lancelot created a portal that allowed us to evacuate the wounded. Mal made our escape possible by creating a small barrier between us and the villains. I did not want to leave anyone behind, so I made sure that I was the last one through the portal, even after Mal… Just before I was able to step through the portal, I felt something crash into me and fall with me through the portal. That was CJ, who had jumped me in an attempt to stop me. Instead, she traveled along with me, but her interference resulted in the two of us being transported somewhere else than intended." Archer went on.

"Where did you land? Please make it clear for the court." Yen Sid inquired.

"The mountains, somewhere northwest… Sorry, but I can't be more specific." Archer answered.

"And what was your reaction following this, ehm, unexpected development?" Yen Sid added.

"Well, I think both CJ and I immediately realized the other was there as well. I was surprised, of course I was, but at the moment I think I was more concerned with where we were than fighting her. She had, ehm, a similar mindset…" Archer told, often glancing in CJ's direction. "After a bit of yelling, we, ehm, eventually made an agreement that we would help each other to get down the mountains before resuming any, ehm, animosity…"

"You struck a deal with a person who, at that time, was still an adversary?" Fauna asked, sounding somewhat suspicious.

"Only for the time being, or that was the plan at least. I didn't have any false hopes, but I was willing to set aside our differences if it meant that we could descend the mountains safely." Archer answered.

"So, your initial plan wasn't to bring the defendant back to Auradon?" Yen Sid questioned.

"No, sir." Archer responded.

"What changed then? What changed your decision?" Yen Sid added.

"We, ehm, we just got to talking… I mean, what else were we supposed to do? We, ehm, got to know each other a little and, ehm, I didn't really get the impression that she really wanted to invade Auradon… We talked a little more and, ehm, I realized that she wasn't that bad… She wasn't an enemy of Auradon…"

"You made that decision all by yourself?" Fauna asked in a relatively sneering tone.

"Well, there wasn't anyone else with me on that mountain." Archer scoffed. "Of course I never stopped thinking about Auradon and what was best for the kingdom, but I still do like to help people whenever I get the chance. Here, I saw the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. If I was able to convince CJ to join our side, I would both lessen the threat of the villains and help a person in need."

"And did the defendant accept your proposal?" Merlin questioned.

"Not at first…" Archer admitted. "She was hesitant… Very hesitant… She couldn't imagine ever going to Auradon without getting locked up. She believed that she could never be anywhere where Mal was anymore…"

"But you eventually convinced her?" Merlin went on.

"Yes." Archer nodded. "I, ehm, I had to make some promises… I tried to understand her reasoning… Both for wanting to leave the villains and not wanting to come to Auradon… It took some convincing, but when we got to the foot of the mountain I persuaded her to come with me… We reached Lone Keep and made our way to Auradon City from there."

"And you made promises to the defendant about a safe stay in Auradon, without any thoughts of the required legal process?" Fauna spat.

"Yes, I did!" Archer retorted. "I realized the trouble my decision would create, but it was still my decision! If anyone should be punished, it should be me! Don't take it out on someone who is kind and good… She just needs a bit of help…"

"No!" CJ suddenly yelled out, making everyone whip their heads around to stare at her instead of Archer. She had jumped up when Archer finished his statement, or had tried her best only to find her arms still shackled to the table. "No! Don't listen to him! He did nothing wrong! Don't punish him!"

"Young lady! Control yourself!" Fauna shrieked, looking down stiffly at CJ.

"No! No! Don't listen to him! He doesn't mean it!" CJ went on, her attorney weakly pulling on her sleeve to try and get her to sit back down.

"Silence!" Yen Sid thundered, loud enough to scare even CJ back in her seat. "What do you mean? Clarify yourself!" He demanded of CJ.

"He's trying to shift the blame to himself!" CJ immediately replied. "He's just saying t-those things to get me out of trouble!"

"CJ!" Archer hisses as the entire courtroom simply looks on wide-eyed.

"No, Archer!" CJ fires back. "I'm not just gonna let you take the fall on this one!"

"I can handle-" Archer began, before he was interrupted by Yen Sid.

"Silence!" The aging sorcerer thundered again, slamming his fist on the judge's bench and staring at both CJ and Archer with a seething expression. "This court is not a playground for your personal little skits! We the court demand you answer our questions in a calm and orderly fashion! Another one of these childish outbursts and we'll wrap up the trial!"

"Sir!" Archer exclaimed in protest.

Yen Sid raised his finger, silencing Archer. "Boy, do as the court tells you if you know what's good for you!"

Archer blushed heavily and sat back in his seat, no longer staring at the judge's bench.

"Miss Hook…" Fairy Godmother spoke up, making CJ pipe up to look at her. "What prince Archer just stated was a proposal of shared misconduct… In the case that you do get found guilty, this could diminish your sentence… Would you knowingly refuse such an offer?"

"Ehm, if he gets into trouble because of it, then yeah!" CJ answered in a fierce tone. "He did nothing wrong! Don't punish him just because he's trying to help me! I mean, w-why would you ever punish someone for that!?"

"You don't want Archer to get into trouble, even if it would mean you'd receive a reduced sentence?" Fairy Godmother inquired.

"I, ehm, no… No, just leave him out of this!" CJ snapped.

"Hmm…" Fairy Godmother scribbled down a few more notes before turning to Archer. "I believe that your testimony is at an end, you may return to your seat."

"I… B-but, ehm… What?" Archer rambled, visibly panicked.

"You may return to your seat." Fairy Godmother repeated.

"B-but I haven't finished yet…" Archer stammered.

"I believe your testimony was sufficient, enough for us to reach a decision." Fairy Godmother assured him.

"B-but… But…" Archer went on.

"Enough of this." Yen Sid spoke. "Return to your seat. We, the council, will reconvene and come to you with a decision afterwards." He said as he straightened out the papers in front of him before standing up.

Archer was apparently dumb-founded and he scanned the room, mainly looking for Ben's eyes in the hope that he could clear things up.

Beside Mal, Ben had also notably tensed up but refrained from any outbursts similar to Archer's in the eyes of the public.

After Yen Sid, each of the other members of the council stood up and made their way to the side of the podium, where a small door led to a private chamber where they could discuss the case and decide on a verdict.

Archer still hadn't left his seat and now only stared apologetically at CJ, who in turn appeared to almost get consumed by her nerves.

Mal felt similarly confused by the abrupt ending of the trial, of which she still wasn't completely sure if it had turned out positively for CJ. As soft murmuring became audible behind her, Mal could only hope for the best. Or, what she thought was best…


	41. Chapter 41: Verdict

**A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

 **A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

 **Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 41: Verdict

The tension in the room was palpable. The constant murmuring and whispering of the large crowd had barely ever died down ever since the council had left the judge's bench in order to debate about the case in private and reach a verdict.

Archer had spent minutes just maniacally tapping his fingers on his legs or nervously rubbing his hands. The guards had again escorted CJ outside of the courtroom, which meant that she was probably in some secluded room, anxiously awaiting her fate in the company of some silent companions. Archer wondered if she was scared or confused and he wished that he could be with her to maybe somehow make things easier for her.

Beside him, Ben and Mal had been mostly whispering softly to one another with stern expressions. Archer couldn't make out entirely what they were saying, but they did both glance over at him one time or another.

He kept replaying the events of the trial in his head and wondered if he could have somehow done more to ensure a good outcome for CJ. He could have said more… He should have said more… He should have gone to his knees and begged the court to see that CJ wasn't bad… He should have done more…

Despite a certain level of confidence still present within him, Archer still couldn't shake the fear that everything would somehow go horribly wrong. This irrational fear felt even worse because he knew that it would be his fault if anything bad were to happen to CJ.

Still, as he contemplated things, he couldn't think of anything better he could have done for CJ. Really, this was probably as good as it could have gone for her. The alternatives CJ could have chosen from when she and Archer had descended the mountains were all more perilous or uncertain than the situation they found themselves in at the moment.

CJ had actively made the choice not to return to her villain allies. Archer could still clearly remember the look on her face when she had described the horrible life she had lived under the thumbs of Solomon and Uma. She had clarified that she would gladly grab onto the chance of getting away from them for good, which meant that she would have basically traded in her old life for basically anything. If Archer was to believe her, any choice she would have made would have been an improvement on her old life, but Archer wanted more… He didn't just want CJ to have a better life than her old one, he wanted her to have a happy life… A good life…

A sudden slap on his upper arm awoke Archer from his thoughts and he hastily straightened up. Ben, who sat beside him, nudged his head towards the judge's bench and stared pervasively at Archer.

Archer turned his head and saw the members of the council of five step out of the small chamber one by one and retake their respective places on the judge's bench. The looks on their faces were inscrutable and Archer couldn't for the life of him determine the outcome of their discussion.

All the members of the council carefully took their place and immediately a silence spread throughout the courtroom as everyone looked on in some sort of expectational excitement.

"We have reached a verdict." Fairy Godmother announced to the public.

Archer clenched his fists and practically felt the cold sweat start to develop on his back as he sat completely still in utter tension. Beside him, Ben and Mal had grabbed onto each other's hands and carefully breathed in and out.

"Please let in the defendant." Fairy Godmother added, addressing the guards at the sides of the heavy wooden door.

The door opened and CJ again entered, surrounded by the usual guards. She looked scared and intimidated, staring wide-eyed at every corner of the large hall just like the first time she had entered the courtroom.

Archer tried his best to keep his breathing in check, but couldn't but ball his fists and clench his jaw as he watched CJ slowly shuffle back towards her seat. Their eyes met briefly and Archer nodded confidently but did not manage to conjure up a reassuring smile. CJ was again cuffed to her table and Archer saw her take a deep breath before raising her gaze towards the judge's bench.

"We will not beat around the bush…" Yen Sid announced, raising a single sheet of paper in front of him. "Calista Jane Hook, for the crimes of theft, arson, property damage, assault and attempted murder outside of the borders of the United States of Auradon, you have been found…"

The entire courtroom held its breath and Archer felt as though his heart had fallen through a pit in his stomach.

"Guilty…" Yen Sid finished his sentence.

Now Archer just felt numb, with CJ looking similarly shocked as her entire body started trembling.

"For the crime of colluding with a known enemy of the kingdom, the aforementioned terrorist Solomon, you have been found guilty." Yen Sid continued, his steely eyes momentarily leaving the paper to glance at CJ.

Both Ben and Mal had lowered their gazes in apparent shame.

"For the crime of illegally entering and afterwards residing in the United States of Auradon, you have been found guilty." Yen Sid went on, his voice growing louder but increasingly monotone. "For the crime of sheltering multiple known enemies of the kingdom, you have been found guilty. For the crimes of theft, arson, property damage and assault on Auradon soil, and the aiding of individuals who partook in those crimes, you have been found guilty. For the crime of aiding in the execution of a terrorist attack on Auradon soil, you have been found guilty. For the crime of taking up arms against official officers of the Auradonian forces, you have been found guilty. For the crime of injuring official officers of the Auradonian forces, you have been found guilty…"

Yen Sid lowered his paper and looked at CJ, who blankly stared forward with silent tears rolling down her cheeks. Archer kept on looking back and forth between CJ and the judges, anger and bewilderment raging in his head.

He tried his best to convince himself that everything could still turn out alright, but the uneasy panic spreading through his body nearly made him feel sick. His thoughts were swimming with claims of injustice and misunderstanding. Surely the judges could still change their mind, right? Surely they wouldn't condemn CJ to some heavy punishment?

"Now, as for our verdict…" Fairy Godmother suddenly began, nearly causing Archer's heart to skip a beat. "Your recent, ehm, actions and promises to better yourself complicated the matter of deciding on the matter of your punishment…"

CJ audibly gasped and sat up straight again. Just like Archer, she apparently clutched tightly to this newly presented shimmer of hope.

"The crimes you have been found guilty of are severe and would under normal circumstances warrant at least a lengthy sentence on the isle of the lost…" Fairy Godmother continued.

CJ again hung her head, but Archer couldn't help but hear the emphasis Fairy Godmother had placed on 'under normal circumstances'.

"However…" Fairy Godmother added, making both CJ and Archer stare at her intently. "Due to the overwhelming support you received by the varying testimonies, your intel on the invaders of Auradon and your promises to better yourself, we are prepared to offer you a six-month probation period in Auradon in exchange for your full cooperation in locating and capturing the invaders. After that six-moth period, you will become eligible for legal citizenship of Auradon, given that you refrain from breaking any further rules."

CJ's mouth dropped open as she simply stared at the judges. Archer had fallen back into his seat, momentarily overwhelmed by the flood of emotions rushing through him. Everywhere in the courtroom people looked at each other and started whispering enthusiastically and unapologetically.

"Do you accept these conditions?" Fairy Godmother asked, raising an eyebrow at CJ.

"I- Wha- Y-yes… Yes!" CJ stammered, a blush creeping up on her cheeks.

"These conditions do entail that you will be confined to a single location and that you will only be allowed to leave under proper supervision." Fairy Godmother stated.

"W-what!? L-like a prison!?" CJ asked somewhat fearfully.

"No, of course not dear… The chosen location is Auradon prep, a place where your every need can be looked out for and where you will be able to mingle with the other students. You will be given access to the entire grounds but everything outside of it will be off limits."

"I-I won't be in chains?" CJ hesitantly questioned, slightly raising her cuffed arms.

"No, you won't." Fairy Godmother kindly replied.

CJ fell back in her seat, a somewhat dreamy expression appearing on her face.

"The second condition is that you will give your full cooperation in locating and capturing the invaders of Auradon, which means sharing your intel, giving testimonies and accompanying Auradon forces in the search for these villains." Fairy Godmother went on. "Will you comply to those conditions?"

"Yes, of course." CJ confidently replied.

"Very well then…" Fairy Godmother continued, smiling softly at CJ. "Welcome to Auradon miss Hook, I hope that you'll find it to your liking."

CJ was left speechless, blankly staring at each member of the council individually as she seemingly took in what was said to her. Archer was similarly flabbergasted as a warm feeling began to spread through his chest. They had done it… CJ was safe… She could come to Auradon…

"Case closed." Fairy Godmother concluded, firmly striking down her gavel to signal the end of the trial.

The mumbling behind Archer immediately turned into talking as most people wasted no time in standing up off their bench and discussing the events of the trial with those around them.

Archer, along with Ben, Mal and Ben's parents did not move just yet. For now, they were each simply lost in thoughts as they processed the verdict. CJ was still frantically looking around, often shaking her head as if she expected this all to be a dream from which she'd soon be rudely awoken.

A servant from the side of the room rushed to CJ and unlocked her cuffs before gently releasing CJ's wrists. CJ looked down at her hands, which were now free, and a smile slowly crept onto her face as she stretched her fingers. Bashful, who had already stood up, softly tapped her on the shoulder and extended a hand for her to shake.

"Thank you." CJ blurted out, enthusiastically shaking her attorney's hand. "Thank you…"

"You're very welcome, young lady." Bashful smiled before letting go, bowing to CJ once more and walking off with his briefcase.

CJ whipped her head around to stare at Archer, who immediately smiled broadly when he saw the twinkle in her eyes. Before he could help himself, he jumped over the bench and approached CJ, who moved towards him as well before they met in a tight embrace.

"You did it! You did it!" Archer said, tightening his arms around CJ and holding her closely to him.

"I-I can't believe it…" CJ mumbled, burying her face in the crook of Archer's neck.

Archer held CJ at an arm's distance and took her face in his hands. "You better believe it… This will be your life now… Here…"

CJ just smiled again and pulled Archer back in her arms, where they simply laughed in pure bliss for a second.

"Ehm, ahem…" Someone softly coughed behind Archer's back.

Archer slowly released CJ and looked back to see Fairy Godmother standing behind him with a broad smile.

"Well, ehm, you certainly seem happy." Fairy Godmother smiled at both him and CJ.

"Thank you. Thank you so much for this." Archer immediately said once he turned to her.

"Oh, nonsense." Fairy Godmother beamed, waving her hand. "She had most of us convinced after her own testimony. You built a solid case and I for one see the benefits of having her one our side."

"Thank you." CJ jumped in, a blush creeping up on her cheeks to accompany her still bright smile.

"It's nothing, sweetie." Fairy Godmother nodded. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am the Fairy Godmother, headmistress of Auradon prep. Since you'll be staying here, my guess is that we'll see a lot more of each other."

CJ enthusiastically shook Fairy Godmother's hand. "Y-you're not, ehm, afraid of me or something?" She then asked hesitantly.

"Let's just say I have some experience dealing with kids from the isle." Fairy Godmother answered with a wink.

"Speaking of which…" Archer mumbled as he saw Ben and Mal approach from behind Fairy Godmother.

CJ immediately tensed up when she saw Mal, who in turn also seemingly had to suppress a scowl.

"Ah, your majesties." Fairy Godmother greeted them with a slight curtsy.

"Fairy Godmother." Ben acknowledged with a smile. "Thank you again for being willing to undertake this trial."

"Well, it comes with the job." Fairy Godmother laughed before turning to Mal. "I am proud of you, sweetie. Your testimony and decision weighed in a lot in deciding the final verdict."

"They did!?" Both Mal and CJ simultaneously blurted out.

"Yes, well, that and your own 'little outburst'." Fairy Godmother replied, addressing CJ. "I don't know if you planned it all, and maybe it'd be best to keep it quiet if you did, but Miss Hook sticking up for you, Archer, was the final push most judges needed to see that she wasn't evil."

"We didn't plan anything…" Archer said, looking at CJ somewhat unbelievably.

"No, we didn't…" CJ mumbled, looking back at Archer. "It's what I thought was right…"

"In that case, you did very well." Fairy Godmother applauded. "Miss Hook, I will see you at Auradon prep where we need to make some further arrangements. I hope to see the rest of you there as well since the school is now rebuilt."

Everyone said their goodbyes to Fairy Godmother as she took her leave. Once she was out of earshot, CJ hit Archer harshly on the upper arm.

"Don't ever do that again!" She snapped.

"Ow! Hey! W-what?" Archer stammered, cowering a little.

"Don't ever try to take the blame for me! I know what I did, and I told you I was willing to take the punishment!" CJ went on, again slapping Archer on the arm.

"I was trying to help you!" Archer retorted, trying to shield himself.

"Well… Not in the right way!" CJ sneered, aiming one final kick at Archer's shin before stepping back.

"Ehm, guys?" Ben spoke up, alerting CJ and Archer, the latter of which had started jumping up and down from the pain in his leg.

CJ gulped as she looked at Ben, who looked equally unsure as he stared back at CJ.

"I believe there are still a few things left unsaid. I suggest we, ehm, find a more private room to discuss things." Ben offered.

"I fully agree." Mal added somewhat coldly as her eyes did not leave CJ.

"Yeah, sure…" Archer replied somewhat suspiciously, still rubbing his sore leg.

CJ didn't speak, but softly nodded as she joined the others towards the same room where they had previously discussed things during the intermission of CJ's trial. Once there, Ben closed the door before somewhat apprehensively approaching CJ.

"We haven't been properly introduced." He began somewhat pompously as he stuck out his hand. "I am Benjamin Florian, king of Auradon."

"I know who you are." CJ replied in a somewhat biting tone, keeping her arms stubbornly crossed. "I've heard enough about the things you have done."

"Now listen here…" Mal spoke up, moving towards CJ with a raised finger.

"Hold up!" Ben immediately intervened, gently grabbing Mal's shoulder and keeping her from getting closer to CJ. Archer, meanwhile, did the same with the latter.

"Ben, she does not get to-" Mal began, before she was interrupted by Ben.

"It is imperative that we clear things up here. Mal, she needs to have her say." He told her, still keeping a hand on her shoulder.

Mal looked over Ben's shoulder at CJ's still angry face, but eventually nodded and took a step back. Ben sighed gratefully and turned around to face CJ again.

"Look, I know things might have gotten off to rough start, but if you are to live here and, ehm, be around Archer a lot of the time… We will just need to learn to get along eventually… So, why not now?" Ben offered.

CJ stared at Ben for a few seconds before turning to Archer, who gave a substantial nod. CJ rolled her eyes before taking a step in Ben's direction and starting to speak. "Ehm… The others, ehm, the villains I mean… They told me that it was you who nearly killed my brother…"

A blush appeared almost immediately on Ben's cheeks and his eyes instantly filled with regret.

"Look, I know Harry can be, ehm, a bit of a right bastard sometimes, but he's still my brother…" CJ went on, uncomfortably rubbing her arm. "It's, ehm, not something that's easy to forget…"

"I understand completely." Ben replied, bowing his head. "If it means anything, Archer was the one who kept me from finishing it and he talked to me about it later. I deeply regret what I did… I can't turn back time, but I can offer you my sincerest apologies…"

CJ appeared to be somewhat perplexed by Ben's words, leading Archer to decide that people did not apologize to her often.

"I-I, ehm… I mean…" CJ stammered. "Look, ehm, t-this is your kingdom… You make the rules… So, I'm not gonna hold a grudge or try to get back at you or anything… Y-you got nothing to fear from me…"

Ben's look immediately softened. "N-no, that's not what I meant. I just need there to be an understanding between us. We have both done each other wrong in the past but we need to move on from that if we are to peacefully live side by side. I will not take advantage of my position to have you locked up or anything… I want us to be able to forgive and trust each other…"

CJ squinted a little, as if she thought that Ben's words were highly suspicious. "You say that you're willing to forgive me for everything that I've done?"

"Yes." Ben sighed. "We here in Auradon aren't fond of holding grudges, and I feel like I need to trust you if we ever head out to war together."

"Head out to war together?" CJ questioned, raising her eyebrows.

"You heard what the conditions were." Ben replied. "You'll need to give your full cooperation in locating and capturing the villains. It's likely that we'll eventually end up fighting side by side if you're certain about opposing them."

"I am!" CJ quickly assured Ben. "I want nothing to do with them anymore! All I want is some, ehm, some peace and quiet… Maybe?"

"You'll find that here." Ben promised, taking another step towards CJ. "Not now, maybe not for a while, but eventually… And, ehm… I'm not sure, but I perceived that you would like Archer by your side…"

CJ whipped her head around to look at Archer. "You told them!?"

"It was sort of necessary." Archer shrugged.

"Is it true?" Mal suddenly spoke up. "Do you, ehm… Do you like him?"

CJ stared at Mal for a few seconds, biting her lip. "Y-yeah…" She eventually answered, nodding slowly. "I think so at least…"

"Why?" Mal questioned, sounding somewhat disbelievingly.

"Wow, thanks…" Archer murmured.

"Why? What do you mean why?" CJ questioned.

"Why do you like him?" Mal clarified.

"Well… B-because… Because…" CJ stammered, looking intently at Archer. "Because he's been there for me… He was supposed to be my enemy, but he's never so much as raised an unnecessary finger against me… He never treated me as somehow less than a person, I had totally forgotten how that felt… And he has feelings for me too, which is a nice bonus."

Ben and Mal had both grown somewhat flustered listening to CJ talk so lovingly about Archer, who in turn could not keep a broad grin off his face.

"You are totally amazing, you know that?" Archer told CJ in total admiration.

When CJ started blushing and giggling slightly, Mal's jaw practically hit the floor. Obviously, she had never seen CJ act this way.

"Anyway…" Ben abruptly spoke up, interrupting the tender moment. "Miss Hook, ehm… I, ehm, CJ…"

CJ quickly turned to Ben again, seemingly surprised that he addressed her by her abbreviated name. "Y-yeah?"

"I still need to hear you comply." Ben told her. "I need to know that we will be able to work together without any grudges from the past hindering us from doing so."

CJ breathed in and out as she still surveyed Ben and his genuine expression. "We will…" She eventually answered. "I want this… I want to stay here and not bicker for scraps and fear for my life all the time… I will do anything to make that happen…"

"Good." Ben replied with a kind smile as he again stuck out his hand.

CJ stared at him for one more second before grabbing the hand and shaking it.

"Glad to have you on board. I just got word that we're supposed to deliver you to Auradon prep right away. Luckily, Archer counts as an Auradon official, so under his supervision you are legally allowed to do anything really." Ben smiled once he released CJ's hand.

"What? So, I have to spend even more time with 'him'?" CJ asked in a mock disgusted tone.

"God, you guys sure make me feel appreciated." Archer rolled his eyes. "But very well, let's head back right away and get you acquainted with the castle."

"Hold on…" Mal interrupted, just as Ben and Archer started heading for the door. "Can, ehm… Can I get a minute or so alone with CJ?"

Ben and Archer stared at each other uncomfortably before addressing each of their girlfriends respectively.

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" They both asked.

"I can handle her." Both Mal and CJ answered simultaneously.

"Right…" Archer mumbled, trying to keep a smirk off his face. "Please try not to kill each other and we'll be right outside then, right?"

"Right." Ben answered, also staring cautiously in between the two girls.

"Just go already." Mal snapped, sounding agitated.

Neither Ben nor Archer needed to hear that twice and they quickly left the room, closing the door softly on their way out.

Now CJ and Mal were finally alone, probably for the first time since the former had left the latter in the water all those years ago. Even though Mal had requested her and CJ to be left alone, she didn't start talking right away. Mal did open her mouth a few times, uncomfortably clutching her arms, but no sound came out. CJ, in a similar fashion, did not try to start a conversation of any sorts.

Right when the tension hit its boiling point, CJ decided to speak up. "Well? What is it?"

"You don't think we need a moment to sort things out?" Mal replied, responding to CJ.

"Well… Maybe…" CJ mumbled, crossing her arms.

"I have spent the last years hating you… You invaded the kingdom I am supposed to become queen of… A-and I only just found out you were partly responsible for an orphanage that I helped to create…" Mal said, her jaw clenched.

"I am sorry for that, truly." CJ quickly replied, but Mal raised a finger to shush her.

"The point is not whether or not you feel regret. The point is that I still don't precisely know how to handle this. Archer can defend you for all that he's worth, but that doesn't magically make me like you. Frankly… Our history… I don't know if things can ever go back to the way they were before… Before, ehm…" Mal rambled.

"Before everything…" CJ added. "Before it all turned to shit…"

"Yeah…" Mal nodded. "Do you, ehm… Do you believe things between us could get fixed?"

CJ bit her lip and examined Mal from the corner of her eye. "I don't know… I honestly don't know…"

Mal was lost for words at CJ's response and just looked down to her feet.

"I'd like to think we can fix things though…" CJ went on, making Mal look up again.

"You do?" Mal asked.

"Mal…" CJ began, almost sounding as though what she was saying was causing her pain. "I have nothing left to lose… If forgiving you means I can live here than I'd be glad to do so…"

"But that wouldn't be true." Mal argued. "If the only reason you think you want to forgive me is because you want to get into Auradon, then you shouldn't have to do it."

"But if it gets me what I want, then I'd be happy to…" CJ argued.

"But you should 'want' to forgive me before actually doing so!" Mal retorted. "D-don't you 'want' to forgive me?"

"I, ehm… I mean… D-do you want to forgive me?" CJ reacted.

"We're talking about you here." Mal pointed out.

"Still, I believe that would somehow influence my decision." CJ snapped. "Look, Freddie mentioned that you had grown more forgiving during your time here…" CJ added, pointing generally around the room. "Could you find it in yourself to forgive me?"

"Do you regret what happened?" Mal asked, crossing her arms.

"I do." CJ immediately fell out at her. "Pretty much everything… That time in the water… Your capture… The invasion… All of it…"

"You left me to die…" Mal mumbled.

"Well… I mean… Y-you did the same with me…" CJ replied in a soft tone.

"I didn't have a choice." Mal grunted. "Hades… I mean, he was coming for us!"

"You still left me… Pushed me down that hole… I was just a girl, Mal!" CJ spat.

"And I apologized for that!" Mal retorted.

"Y-you never did such a thing!" CJ stammered. "You acted as if nothing happened when I came back!"

"We don't apologize on the isle! I was trying to have things go back to the way they were!" Mal fired back.

"But things changed! You left me there!" CJ shouted.

"You got out!" Mal pointed out.

"You had no idea I would get out!" CJ reacted.

"B-but you did!" Mal nearly screamed. "H-how did you get out anyway?"

"You don't know?" CJ asked, sounding genuinely perplexed.

"No, I mean, you just showed up again one day. None of us knew what had happened." Mal replied.

"Well… Hades… He, ehm, he just let me go…" CJ mumbled.

"He just let you go!? After we tried to steal his ember!?" Mal exclaimed, sounding astounded.

"I don't know what to tell you." CJ shrugged. "He wasn't that bad… He helped me a lot after that, giving me small jobs and such…"

"Everyone always told us to steer clear from him… Mom always said that he had gone completely off the rails…" Mal mumbled.

"Yeah, our parents lied to us… Big whoop… Tell me something I don't know." CJ scoffed.

"Still…" Mal began, her voice a little shakily. "I shouldn't have left you there… I was scared… I am truly sorry for that…"

"Well, thanks I guess…" CJ grumpily responded. "I guess I'll forgive you then…"

"And I forgive you for leaving me in the water." Mal added.

CJ whipped up her head to stare incredulously at Mal. "W-wait… You what!?"

"I forgive you. You know… Water under the bridge, pun unintended…" Mal shrugged.

The corners of CJ's mouth perked up for a second before she turned serious again. "I haven't even apologized yet…"

"You don't have to, I choose to forgive you either way." Mal spoke, raising an eyebrow mischievously. "It's a little something we learn here in Auradon, it's called being a nice person."

"I guess I should try that." CJ joked. "It might not matter to you, but I do still want to apologize. I was just consumed by anger at the time… God, I can only imagine how different my life would have been if I hadn't left you…"

"If you would have saved me, we would have probably become friends again…" Mal suggested.

"Just like the old days…" CJ added. "No running from everyone, always looking over my shoulder…"

"Well… Uma and Solomon were still on the loose… Believe me, I didn't feel particularly safe either…" Mal said.

"God, they really are the worst, aren't they?" CJ grinned.

"The worst of the worst…" Mal confirmed, smiling a little.

For a few seconds, both girls simply stared at each other, thinking over the conversation they'd just had and reviewing it calmly.

"Is it true that he forced you… Solomon, I mean… Did he force you to join him?" Mal eventually asked.

"Yep, under the threat of a painful death… His usual business…" CJ moped.

"Did he hurt you?" Mal went on, sounding both a little scared and compassionate.

"They all hurt me!" CJ snapped. "Harriet's goons had shot me, nearly to death… The only reason Solomon helped me was because he needed me… I joined him, but he still hit me or kicked me… One time he burned me…"

"CJ…" Mal mumbled.

"Uma wasn't any better!" CJ continued. "She loves those freaking water powers she has and takes every opportunity to douse me whenever she's in a bad mood! Well, you know Uma, she's always in a bad mood…"

"Didn't Harry, ehm, ever help you or anything?" Mal hesitantly asked.

"At first, a little… But he only ever did so if he could gain something from it… Uma got in his head, and eventually he just distanced himself…" CJ mumbled.

Mal kept her head down, feeling slightly uncomfortable hearing CJ talk about her miserable life like this. On the one hand, she really did want to comfort her, but one the other, she still felt as though their relationship needed some work.

"I want to hurt them…" CJ muttered, her jaw clenched. "I want to make them feel as miserable as I did…"

"That's not the Auradon way." Mal immediately intervened. "They will get their punishment, I want that just as much as you do, but there are laws and rules we need to obey…"

"Screw those rules! I want revenge!" CJ immediately shouted.

"Shh, don't let Archer hear you!" Mal warned. "Really, if you even mutter the word revenge around him, he will immediately lecture you on why it's wrong."

"But you know what they did to me!" CJ protested.

"Which is why you are here now! To work with us to send those bastards back to that dreadful isle, which is what they deserve!" Mal replied.

"Send them back to the isle!? That's all you want to do? Mal, ehm, y-you know Solomon can move through the barrier, right?" CJ inquired.

Mal bit her lip. True, she had not thought that far ahead. In her mind, she just wanted to stop the villain invasion and worry about the aftermath later.

"We'll think of something." Mal eventually told CJ. "CJ, you're in Auradon now… Sure, everyone has a few violent tendencies every once in a while, but I really do urge you to keep them in check… Talk to people… Talk to Archer about it, he'll listen…"

"But we need a plan, right?" CJ retorted. "We need to know what we'll do with him if we win this war…"

"'When' we win this war…" Mal corrected her.

"Wow, you sure don't lack for confidence…" CJ grinned softly.

"I am certain about this…" Mal assured her. "I for one don't plan on resting until I see that heartless bastard rot in chains…"

"That makes two of us then." CJ smirked.

Mal eyes CJ for a few more seconds before sticking out her hand. "Partners then?"

CJ stared at Mal's hand, a little surprised apparently. "For real?"

"For real." Mal nodded.

CJ took a step forward before grasping Mal's hand and shaking, solidifying their alliance. Mal felt a warm feeling in her stomach… A good feeling… This was good, her reconciling with CJ… For the first time in a while, Mal felt as though she had a renewed purpose, and CJ might have just unwillingly provided the means for them to win this war. All in all, Mal felt confident and hopeful…

"Well then…" Mal grinned, still shaking CJ's hand. "Let's go get that son of a bitch!"

* * *

 **That's the end of part 2. For anyone who's interested, please keep an eye out for part three, coming out soon.**

 **If you have any questions, please ask.**

 **Furthermore, I would also like to welcome any suggestions.**

 **I appreciate all of you for reading this, and I'll surely get back to you soon.**


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